


Empathy Link

by tozierzzz



Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-05-18 16:16:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 27,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5934823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tozierzzz/pseuds/tozierzzz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things quickly go awry when Liam, Brett and Mason hunt a dark witch running around killing teens in Beacon Hills. The trio highly underestimate the witch's power and the consequences are dire...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Guys, I seriously don't think we should be doing this." Mason stated for the millionth time that night as he waded through a maze of trees behind Brett and Liam. "Especially not without Scott here with us!"

"What choice do we have?" Liam mumbled, looking around. "This new witch in town is killing people. She needs to be stopped, and Scott is too busy dealing with Theo and his new pack."

"Besides its two werewolves against one witch." Brett chimed in. "Plus a human with some pretty strong anti-witch charms. This lady doesn't stand a chance."

Mason sighed, looking doubtful. This plan wasn't really the best in the world, in fact it wasn't even a good one. The fact that they hadn't even talked to Scott about all of this only made things worse. What happens if this woman turns out to be stronger than they anticipated? There would be no heroic true Alpha coming to their rescue, mainly because the Alpha in question was under the impression that they were going to Sinema for the night!

Brett stopped in his tracks and turned to the nervous teen. "Mason. Your worry is coming off you like waves." He observed, walking to him and running his fingers over the smooth skin of his cheek. "Just relax. Everything will be fine."

Just the wolf's touch was enough to calm the growing storm inside Mason. His shoulders relaxed and he nodded with a half smile. "Y..yeah...okay."

Liam, who had stopped to listen to the duo, rolled his eyes. "Okay, you had your little heart to heart now can we please get on with this? From all the information we gathered this witch always strikes at midnight and it's eleven fifty two. We don't have much time."

"Don't worry...she'll come to us. She has to...we have the bait right here." Brett replied, nodding over at Mason.

Another massive downside to all of this. Not only did he have to go along with all of this, he actually had to bait a deadly organ stealing witch. She had quite the fascination for stealing live human hearts from pure and innocent human beings.

No idea why the only thing his best friend and crush could seem to agree on was the statement that he was innocent. They weren't the only two who thought so either. Everyone they knew and talked to on a daily basis agreed. Literally everyone. Scott, Lydia, Malia, Kira, and even Stiles.

"I don't like using him as bait." Liam suddenly protested, looking at the ground with angry blue eyes. "We should have just used Kira."

"Considering the fact that she's battling a deadly corrupt Kitsune inside her, I don't think Kira can be called innocent anymore." Brett quickly added. "Mason is perfect for this. Stop worrying so much, you'll only make him more nervous. I won't let anything happen to him."

Mason felt a smile tug at his lips, and his cheeks heated up. "Th..thanks."

Brett winked at him and Liam rolled his eyes. "You're not much of a bodyguard Brett." He murmured.

The smile on the taller beta's face was immediately gone. His pale blue eyes glared over at Liam. "I protected him just fine at Sinema, where were you?"

As soon as the sound of his best friend's growling assaulted his ears, Mason quickly stepped in. "Knock it off guys. We need to focus, you can argue about who's the better bodyguard for me later."

The two wolves seemed to acknowledge and accept his words and cooled off. Liam suddenly stiffened, his face scrunching up with disgust. Brett followed soon after and began sniffing at the air.

"What is it?" Mason asked, looking around. "What do you--!"

"Smells like...dead things." Liam replied, reaching up and covering his nose.

"Dead things?" Mason repeated, a terrified shiver running down his spine. "Wh..what do you mean dead things? You mean dead things as in animal dead things or--!"

"Dead people." Brett corrected, frowning as he sniffed at the air.

"That's..that's not good you guys. That's not good at all." Mason stammered, looking around nervously.

Both wolves closed in protectively around Mason, the smell of rotten flesh getting stronger by the second. Sure he was the bait, but neither would ever forgive themselves if anything happened to Mason.

"The smell is getting stronger." Brett observed, eyes shifting from blue to gold. "That must mean she's clo--!"

The Buddhist beta was cut off a fierce gust of wind that knocked both him and Liam ten feet backwards. Both slammed into separate trees, and slid to the ground. They two remained deadly still, neither one moving a muscle.

Mason shouted a curse and turned to see a sinister looking woman standing a few feet behind him. She had big red eyes outlined with black eyeliner and eyeshadow, giving her raccoon eyes. A big mad smile was spread across her dirt smeared face, exposing her rotten teeth. Her auburn hair was a rat's nest and she was dressed in a torn and tattered magenta colored dress. Twigs, leaves and some golden jewelry acted as her accessories, and her feet were bloody and barefoot. In one hand she held a knife and in the other was a...human heart.

"So pretty...and pure as snow." She mused, her voice unnaturally deep and distorted. Her smile seemed to grow as she came closer towards him. "Your heart will do wonders for my spell..."

Instinctively Mason backed away from her, his chocolate brown eyes wide with fear. A shaky hand came up and gripped the purple colored charm hanging around his neck.

The witch's eyes followed and a hearty laugh followed. "Charms have no effect on me human. Now...come along and do not try to fight." Her face quickly darkened. "It'll only make things worse for you."

Trembling with fear the teen continued moving away from her. His eyes moved back and forth between Liam and Brett, who were both still unconscious. Silently he pleased with them to wake up.

Come on guys...please get up!

His gaze slid back to the witch and his heart skipped a beat when he noticed her eyes were now a bloody red. Her smile grew and she took a step towards him. Overcome by fear, Mason turned to run and yelled in shock when he found her right in front of him yet again.

Before he could even react, the witch waved her arm and a fierce gust of wind threw him backwards. A strangled scream left his throat but it was cut off as he slammed into a tree trunk. He collapsed to the ground like lifeless rag doll.

Hearing multiple bones cracking, Brett's eyes creaked open. He looked up to see the witch standing over Mason, hand outstretched towards him. With a strained curse he struggled to his feet. Vengeance and fury filled eyes were trained on the witch, who was advancing on the Mason who hadn't moved a muscle.

"NO!" He yelled, reaching his feet and advancing on her.

Before he could even get to her however, a bolt of lightning struck her dead in the chest, blowing her away. She cried out as she was thrown right through a tree, rolling to a stop a few feet away. Brett turned just in time to see a rather angry looking, fanged purple eyed teen.

He was unusually familiar to Brett, but he couldn't remember where he had seen the boy from. Weak from the witch's earlier attack, the wounded wolf fell to his knees. He struggled to rise to his feet, but it was no use. His body needed to heal first.

Brett watched as the familiar teen rushed the witch, climbed on top of her and tore her to shreds with his claws. Her screams echoed through the forest as her blood flew into the air, splashing the teenager in crimson. He seemed coldly unphased by the screams and blood. Snarling, he lifted the bloody and beaten witch up by the tatters of her bodice and electrocuted her.

More agonizing screams rang out and echoed through the air, but were quickly silenced.  An even more foul smell began wafting through the air, assaulting Brett's nose. He made a face, recognizing the scent as the charred flesh of the murderous witch.

He watched as the teen effortlessly tossed the witch's corpse aside and turned towards Brett. His face was soaked in the witch's blood and his violet eyes returned to their dark chocolate color. He sighed and rolled his neck, successfully cracking it. A small smile began tugging at his lips.

"Brett Talbot...wow it's been awhile." He mused, purple eyes shifting back to their natural chocolate brown color. "How's Devenford?"

Blue eyes widened and once again Brett struggled to his feet. "J..Josh?! Josh Diaz!?" He exclaimed, shock evident in his voice and on his face.

"That's my name don't wear it out." Came the nonchalant response. "Glad to see you remember me, but you might want to check up on your friends...they're not looking too good."

The wolf turned, and shouted a curse. Liam, bloody and still weak, was crawling over to Mason's side, reaching out to him. Quickly, Brett looked back to Josh seeking his aid, but found the other had strangely vanished. To his immense surprise, even his scent had already begun to fade away.

Shoving his thoughts to the side, the Buddhist beta darted over to his friends. Liam had pulled Mason into his lap, two twin trails of tears trailing over his cheeks. The air was oddly quiet and an uneasy tone floated in the air. Something wasn't right.

"Brett...I can't hear his heartbeat!" He replied, looking up at him with big tearful eyes.

Immediately panicked, the buddhist listened in and found that he couldn't hear it either. "Oh shit..." He mumbled, listening harder. His own heartbeat began to pick up as he couldn't detect a single sound from Mason. No breathing and no heartbeat. Nothing.

That could only mean one thing. Mason was...

"He's dead Liam." Brett murmured, staring wide eyed at the remains of the hollow shell that used to be a vibrant and beautiful teenager. "Mason's...Mason's dead..."


	2. Chapter 2

"No!" Liam shouted at Brett, clinging to Mason's body. "He's not dead! He can't be dead!"

Brett watched the young beta hold onto his best friend, squeezing him like his very life depended on it. He couldn't even begin to fathom the pain Liam was in. Mason was his best friend, his anchor, his brother. They needed each other and now...

Distraught and in tears, Brett put a hand on the McCall beta's shoulder. "Liam...we have to go. He's not breathing and his heart isn't beating. He's...he's gone--!"

Liam shook his head back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably into his friend's hair. "No...no! I won't just leave him here!"

The buddhist werewolf sighed, fighting back a sob. "I'm not suggesting that. We just need to leave here." He replied, eyes moving to glance at Mason's face.

Instantly, guilt pierced through his heart like an arrow. All this time Mason had been right, they shouldn't have done this without Scott. They should have just waited! Now because of his arrogance...

Brett sunk his teeth into his bottom lip, drawing blood. Now was not the time for self pity and tears. Quickly, he pulled Mason's limp body into his arms and rose to his full height.

Blue eyes moved to Liam, who had his eyes focused on his now barren embrace. "Liam come on, we can't stay he--!"

  
The taller werewolf was cut off by the sound of crunching twigs. Both wolves looked up to see a man coming their way, and their eyes went wide. Not only was the man naked but he was...burning. His entire body was enveloped in flames, but strangely they didn't harm him.

" _ **NO**_!" Liam immediately growled, eyes glowing yellow. Quickly he scrambled to his feet and ran in front of Brett and Mason, his claws and teeth bared.

Brett looked at him, blue eyes filled with confusion. "Liam...do you know him?" He inquired, looking back and forth between the two. "Who is that?"

The McCall ignored his questions, keeping his eyes focused on the burning man. More tears seemed to be selling in his eyes, and he bared his teeth. "You...you can't have him!" He shouted. " _ **You can't have him**_!"

His angry words didn't seem to register with the burning man. He continued to come closer and closer to them, his face completely emotionless and his eyes glowing a bright orangish red.

"Brett, get Mason out of here!" Liam ordered.

"Liam what's going on--!"

"Just go!"

Mumbling a curse, the Buddhist clutched Mason a bit tighter before turning and running in the opposite direction. He didn't get far before a roar followed by a pained groan echoed throughout the woods. The roar was gut wrenching, unlike anything he had ever heard. His feet stopped moving, and he froze. Slowly he turned and found himself face to face with the burning stranger. Liam was on the ground coughing and hacking a few feet away, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.

Brett wanted to run, but his body couldn't get the will to move. He was frozen where he stood, his blue eyes locked with red orange. Suddenly, the man reached out and took Mason in his arms. For a moment he simply stood there, gazing at the deceased teen's face. Then without warning he leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Hey what are you--!"

His words were cut short by Mason, who arched upwards gasping for air. His eyes flew open their chocolate brown color turning a vibrant iridescent purple. Just as quickly as he moved he went still once again, falling into the burning embrace but his chest began to move up and down. To Brett's immense joy and confusion, his heartbeat began thumping in his chest once again.

Before he could say a word, the man simply turned and walked away with Mason in tow. Liam growled, but it slowly died down when the sound of his best friend's heartbeat hit his ears. Both wolves watched as the man slowly disappeared into the woods.

Liam made his way to his feet, looking at Brett. "Please...please tell me you heard it too and I'm not just imagining things."

Brett shook his head, a smile of relief tugging at his lips. "No, I heard it. Whoever that guy was he did something to him. He gave him a kiss, and Mason just...it was like he breathed life back into him or something. We have no idea where he's taking him though. Who was that guy anyway?"

"His name is Jordan Parrish. He's a deputy at the police station, and some kind of supernatural being too but we don't know what yet. All we know is he's ridiculously strong and completely immune to fire. He's also been taking the bodies of the dead chimeras. He flipped Stiles' jeep one night just to get to one of them."

"And you tried to take him all on your own, are you out of your mind?"

"I watched him take Hayden. I didn't even try to stop him, I just let him take her. I couldn't let it happen again, especially not with Mason. I had to try." He replied, looking at the ground.

Brett gripped his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Come on, let's find Scott. Maybe he can help us figure out where Parrish took Mason."

.........................

"What do you mean he _**died**_!?" Scott practically shouted, looking at the two wolves accusingly. His heart was jumbled in his chest, beating rapidly with panic.

"He's not dead anymore...well at least we don't think he is." Liam mumbled, shying away from his alpha.

"Why did you even go after the witch? We specifically told you not to do anything until we got more intel on her!" Stiles replied, glaring harshly at the two.

"She was gonna kill again, we couldn't just let her!" Liam exclaimed.

"So you blindly go up against her while using your best friend as bait!?" Stiles stated, looking at him like he was crazy. "Have you lost your mind?"

Scott released a deep breath, looking at his beta with lowered eyes. "Where's Mason?" He asked, voice deep with sounded like anger.

"Parrish took him." Brett replied. "We don't know where, but he did something to Mason. Before he took him away, Parrish gave him a kiss and it...it brought back to life somehow."

The alpha raised an eyebrow, looking at the buddhist beta. "What? How do you know it brought him back?"

"Mason sat up and took a breath, and his heart started beating again." Liam explained softly. "Then Parrish took him away."

Another sigh. Scott turned away from them and took a few steps away from the group. This was all so much to take in. Mason had died only to be brought back by Parrish? That couldn't end well...at least not for Mason. There were bound to be some kind of consequences or side effects.

"We need to find them." He mumbled, turning back around. "We need to find them now."

"How? We have no idea where Parrish took him." Brett pointed out.

Scott shook his head. "No...but there's one person who will know how to get to him. He'll go to her if she calls for him."

Stiles slowly nodded in agreement. He knew exactly who Scott was talking about. "Lydia." He murmured.


	3. Chapter 3

Jordan groaned as he pulled himself off the couch, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked down to see he was wearing nothing but his shorts. His skin was covered in soot and there were large scratches slowly healing on his chest. Sighing, he covered his eyes with his hands.

 _Oh god...not again._ He thought to himself.

He shifted into his other form again last night, which was probably the reason he couldn't remember anything that had happened last night. After giving a tired yawn and stretching his limbs, he made his way into the kitchen.

He reached for the fridge, but before his fingers even touched the handle a loud THUD stopped him. His whole body went rigid and slowly he reached for his waist only to remember that his gun wasn't there because he wasn't wearing any pants.

Mumbling a curse, he settled for a kitchen knife instead. Who needed guns anyway. After all he did have combat training on his side.

Taking a deep breath, he moved down the hall leading to his bedroom. With his knife raised and ready to attack, he kicked the door open. Green eyes immediately widened.

It wasn't a robber or intruder like he had assumed. Instead there was a young boy lying face down on the ground. From what he could gather from the scene he had gotten tangled up in the sheets and when he made an attempt to free himself, it ended with him falling flat on his face.

He was small and lean with dark skin. Snapped twigs and leaves sat in his hair. His clothes were torn and singed, and his skin was sheened with sweat and soot. When the door was kicked open, his head shot up revealing his wide brown eyes. They stretched even wider upon seeing the weapon in his hand, and he scrambled backwards and away from him.

Parrish cursed, and tossed the knife away. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise I just--!"

"Where am I?" He asked, cutting him off. "Who are you? How did I--!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! One question at a time please. You're in an apartment downtown, and my name is Jordan Parrish. I'm a deputy at the police station. As for how you got here, well I don't know."

Though from the soot covering his skin and the singes on the clothes he wore, he was beginning to gather an idea.

Seeing that his answers were offering little to no solace to the boy, he walked over and sat next to him. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. What's your name?"

Big brown eyes looked up and found his. "Mason." Came the small response.

"Well, Mason don't worry we'll get this figured out. I promise." He assured him, gently taking hold of his hand.

The minute their skin touched, Mason gasped and his eyes shifted from brown to purple. His mouth fell open and he froze, his grip on Parrish's hand tightening.

The deputy let out a slight gasp of discomfort, and made a futile effort at removing his hand. His pain soon turned to shock as flames burst around his hand. He tried to make a sound of shock, but the only sound produced was a feral growl that echoed throughout the room and traveled into the hall.

As soon as the sound died away his hand was released and Mason fell backwards, chest heaving and heart pounding. He was trembling violently, eyes wide with what seemed to be shock and downright disbelief.

"I...I died." He uttered softly, looking at Parrish. "But you...you brought me back."

Parrish stared at him as if he'd grown a third eye. "What are you...what are you talking about? Brought you back how? Do you mean CPR wise or--!"

A knock or the door cut him off and made them both jump in surprise. Giving him a reassuring smile, he hesitantly pat his hand before standing up.

"I'll be right back, just stay here and keep calm." He replied before rushing to the front door.

Quickly he unlocked the door, and pulled it open. His eyes immediately widened upon the sight of a familiar looking redhead. As always she wore her usual aura of a Queen. Her hair was curled and bounced on her shoulders. Her outfit consisted of a ruffled pink top and a jean miniskirt with pink heels.

Parrish's face heated up, and he smiled nervously. "L..Lydia. What are you doing here?" He asked.

"We need to talk, and considering your choice of clothing today, I suggest we do it inside." She replied, letting her eyes travel downward before moving back to his face.

He followed her gaze, and jumped when he realized the only thing he had on were his under shorts. Mumbling a curse, he blushed and stepped aside to let her inside.

"I..I uh...come on in."

Smiling almost triumphantly, she strut her way inside. "Thanks."

After closing the door and locking it, he turned to face her. She was looking around the living room, almost scrutinizing it. With a small huff, she sat down on the couch and crossed her legs. Her green gaze moved to his face and brightened some.

"So..." Parrish began, moving into the living room. "What exactly do you want to talk about?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a startled gasp. Parrish turned to see Mason making his way down the hall. His eyes widened upon landing on a familiar face and he came closer.

"L..Lydia?"

"Mason!" The redhead exclaimed, relief spreading through her. Quickly she hopped up and ran to him. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed gently. "Oh my god are you okay?"

He smiled and returned her embrace and pulled away to look at her. I'm fine but...what are you doing here?" He mumbled. "How did you find me?"

"Scott." She stated simply. "He told me I'd find you with Parrish."

"Wait a minute!" The deputy asked, immediately perking up. "Scott? How did he know?"

Sighing, she led Mason over to the living room and sat them both down on the couch. "I don't know exactly what you remember, but from what I gathered from Scott you and Liam went out hunting a witch last night. It ended with you dead and Parrish resurrecting you before taking you away."

Mason nodded slowly. "That's...that's what I saw when I touched him." He mumbled, looking back to Parrish who looked downright terrified.

Lydia frowned. "What you saw? What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it, but...when he touched me earlier...this vision just came to me." Mason replied. "It was like watching a flashback happen right before my eyes."

"Side effect." Lydia mumbled. "It has to be a side effect. Dying does something to people, changes them. Sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Other times it...awakens things inside people."

"Awakens things?" Mason repeated. "I don't understand...what do you mean?"

"Dying can...bring out the supernatural in some people." Lydia replied. "It could go away in time, but I wouldn't count on it."

"Lydia how do you know all of this?" Parrish asked, looking a bit frightened by what she was telling them.

The redhead gave an apathetic shrug. "I've done a lot of research about this stuff. When you and your friends are surrounded by the supernatural world, it helps to know what you're dealing with."

Mason looked away, his heartbeat picking up speed. He was fine with knowing about the supernatural, but being apart of it? He wasn't sure he was ready for that. "I..I wanna go home." He replied almost desperately.

Lydia, sensing his panic, nodded quickly. "Okay, okay. I'll take you home." She replied, putting an arm around his shoulders and leading him towards the door. Parrish unlocked it for them and pulled it open. Before leaving, she turned to him and met his eyes.

"We'll finish this talk later." She murmured, smiling when he nodded in agreement. "You still like coffee right?"

"Of course."

"Then we'll discuss it tonight over coffee. My place. Deal?"

He grinned, cheeks heating up. "Deal."

  
......................

"Lydia, I said home not Scott's house." Mason replied, frowning when the werewolf's home came into view. "Why did you bring me here?"

"He just wants to make sure you're okay, it'll only take a minute." She assured him as she parked in the driveway.

They didn't even make it out the car before the front door blew open and Scott came running out. Mason felt his heart jump and unbuckled his seat belt. As soon as he stepped out the car, he was enveloped in the alpha's arms.

He sighed as he felt a strange and warm aura surrounding him. He melted in Scott's arms and nuzzles his shoulder. Love. Comfort. Relief. All three flooded through him and he realization hit him like a wrecking ball. The emotions he was feeling weren't his own. They were from Scott.

"You were worried." He mumbled, knowing the other would hear him.

The embrace seemed to grow tighter and he could have sworn Scott pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Of course I was." He replied, pulling away to look at him.

"Why?" Mason immediately asked before he could stop himself. "I mean...it's not like I'm apart of the pack or anything."

Unable to believe what he was hearing, Scott firmly took him by the arms. "Mason...how can you even say that? You're just as apart of this pack as anybody else."

"But I'm not a--!"

"You don't have to be a werewolf, werecoyote, kitsune or even a banshee to be apart of this pack! It has nothing to do with that." He replied, brushing his fingers over the other's cheek. "You're apart of this pack because you're our friend, and we care about you. That's what pack really means. It's not about having any powers."

Mason smiled, truly touched by the other's words. Slowly he nodded, eyes welling with tears and lip quivering. He rushed back into Scott's arms, relaxing as the warm aura surrounded him once again.

According to the _True Alpha_ himself he was pack. _**HE**_ , Mason Hewitt, was apart of the legendary McCall pack.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! Please, let me know what you think of it :)

"Well why didn't you stay to help!?" Corey demanded, glaring hard at Josh who merely rolled his eyes.

"I _did_ stay and help." He retorted with lowered eyes. "I killed the witch."

"But you didn't stay to see if Mason was okay!?"

"Your little crush is not my problem, and he certainly wasn't my top priority. I smelled trouble and I took care of it, simple as that."

Corey opened his mouth to fire back a response, but Theo's alarming whistle stopped him. Both chimeras jumped and turned to face their alpha. "Knock it off." He ordered. "Corey relax, you'll find out how Mason is doing at school on Monday. Josh, what kind of witch was it?"

The electric chimera glared at him. "Do I look like a witch expert to you? How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"What did she look like?" The werecoyote nearly growled. Was she good or bad--!"

"Well, considering the fact that she was there to steal human hearts I'm gonna go ahead and guess that she was bad. She was ugly and haggard and reeked of rotten human flesh--!"

"Sounds like her." Theo mumbled, causing both chimeras to give him a confused look.

"Like who?" Corey asked.

"Cato. She's the leader of a dark coven of witches known for their...gruesome spells and gory sacrifices."

"Well that would explain the whole heart fetish thing." Josh mumbled.

"They're servants under the goddess Hecate, and they're not going to be happy when they hear about their leader's death." Theo continued, eyes growing more and more dark as he explained. "They're not going to take her death lightly...they're going to come for revenge, and bring war to Beacon Hills along with them."

...................

Scott groaned softly as he opened his eyes, disturbed by a slight shift in his bed. To his relief and happiness he heard the soft and steady sound of a heartbeat. He looked down and was greeted by Mason's sleeping face. A smile tugged at the alpha's lips as he watched the other sleep peacefully. It seemed that he was incapable of not being adorable, even when he slept. His mouth hung slightly open, and he inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth with a soft little snore.

After their reunion, Scott insisted that he spend the night at his house and after a lot of soft protesting from Mason he finally agreed. They had day old pizza for dinner before lounging on the couch and watching a couple of movies. Eventually the two fell asleep there, only to be woken up by Melissa when she came home.

The nurse was completely fine with him staying over, but encouraged them to move upstairs if they were going to go to bed. The alpha agreed, but immediately protested when Mason tried to sleep in the guest room. For the time being he didn't want Mason anywhere other than his side. Finding out about his death was devastating for the alpha, and his first instinct right now was to keep him safe.

The other shifted, bringing him out of his thoughts. He watched as Mason snuggled deeper into the pillows. He smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead before crawling out of bed and making his way into the bathroom.

As quietly as possible, he closed the door and got ready to start the day. He washed his face and brushed his teeth. Sighing, he reached for the mouth wash only to be halted by the door being pulled open. In a way that could only be described as curious, the younger teen poked his head inside.

"Morning." Scott greeted, turning around with a smile.

Mason returned the smile sleepily and nodded. "Good morning, s..sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"It's fine. How'd you sleep?"

There was a moment of hesitation before he answered, and he looked away. "I uh...I slept pretty well." He lied, forcing a smile. "Thanks."

Scott nodded regardless of knowing he was lying to him. "Cool, I'm gonna go fix some breakfast. You can borrow something to wear out of my closet."

The trueness of his smile returned, along with a slight blush. "Um, considering the fact that I can barely fit in your pajamas I don't think I'll have much luck with your other clothes."

"Just wear a pair of my sweatpants and a t-shirt." Scott replied chuckling. "That should hold you over until Brett comes to take you home."

Almost instantly Mason's face flushed and his dark eyes widened. "B..Brett? He's taking me home?" He murmured.

"Yeah he insisted last night, and Liam's going with you. That okay?"

Smiling softly he nodded and vanished into the bathroom, gently closing the door behind him. Scott grinned, still able to smell his excitement and anxiousness. He remembered it all too well. It was the exact same thing he used to feel whenever Allison came into the picture. After one last glance at his bathroom door, the alpha turned and made his way downstairs.

.......................

Mason was still at the table eating when the doorbell rang. He looked up from the mini pancakes and strawberries Scott had fixed for him, mouth full and eyes widening a fraction.

The alpha gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder before quickly going to answer the door. He was greeted by a frantic Liam, who practically shoved past him to get inside. "Where is he!? Where is he!?" He interrogated, sniffing around the house. His nose soon caught on to the familiar but somehow a bit alien scent and he ran for it. The beta soon found himself in the kitchen face to face with his best friend.

There was a moment of stunned silence between them before Liam practically lunged at him. He tackled him with a hug, knocking him out of his chair and sending them both to the ground.

Mason groaned but it was sooner drowned out by both of them chuckling and wrapping their arms around each other. He felt fuzzy, like someone was tickling him. Liam squeezed him tightly, but not tight enough to cause any discomfort. He bombarded his cheek with soft kisses and nuzzled him lovingly, enjoying the giggles he got in return.

Both looked up when Scott and Brett entered the room, and Mason soon found himself blushing like a shy schoolgirl. The Ito beta walked up to him and offered his hand, which Mason took. He looked away with a smile when he was back on his feet and quietly thanked the taller werewolf. Brett responded by yanking him into his arms and kissing his head.

Mason smiled, leaning closer to him and returning the embrace. An aura of warmth closed in around him, almost like Scott's but somehow a bit different. He couldn't really explain what was different about it, but...it felt nice and comforting. Almost like...like he belonged with him.

Brett squeezed him gently, kissing his forehead. "I thought...I thought you were--!"

"I was." Mason finished, looking up at him. "But...I'm back now and hopefully I'm here to stay."

Brett smiled, but it didn't last long. Mason felt his relief and happiness slowly replace themselves with grief and remorse, and he gasped when realization hit him. Brett blamed himself for his untimely demise.

"It's not your fault." He immediately proclaimed, looking up at him. "None of this is your fault! Don't even think like that!"

The tall werewolf was taken aback by the other's words and he turned to Liam and Scott, who looked just as confused. "Mason I...how did you know that I--!"

"Believe me...I wish I knew."

_**~Deep in the forests of Beacon Hills~** _

Two women argued in a forest clearing, one was dressed in silken velvet robes and had hair like fine silver. Her eyes were a bright magenta, and fine lines and wrinkles were etched into her face. She was kneeling down, searching for herbs and gems.

The other had dark skin and a head of messy caramel curls. Milky white orbs took the place of her eyes, and she wore a torn and tattered green robe. She watched the other woman with wide and almost panicked eyes.

"Kiade you cannot be serious!" The curly head one nearly exclaimed.

"I am."

"You'll die!"

"Worth the risk." She stated simply, rising to her full height.

"Kiade! We have already lost Cato! We cannot afford to lose you too! Please, be reasonable--!"

"They murdered our leader and you want me to be just sit back and do nothing!? How is that being reasonable!?"

"We must plot our revenge, not just run in blindly! It's a death wish! We will avenge Cato, but not without a plan first."

Harsh magenta eyes met milky white. "No Emraude. I will avenge our beloved Cato whether you are with or against me, and if it's truly the latter...then you had better stay out of my way." She warned before shoving past her and storming off.


	5. Chapter 5

Mason stood in front of the mirror in his room, staring at his own reflection. He had chosen his favorite loose blue hoodie and maroon jeans with his black converse as today's outfit, but what he looked like wasn't really his biggest concern. Today was Monday and he was contemplating whether or not he should go to school, considering all that had happened. He wanted to go, but...his gut told him it wouldn't end well.

After all he did have this new power that he really had no control over. To make matters worse, he didn't even know what he was. All he knew was he could feel emotions that didn't belong to him and he got random premonitions from touch. He didn't know of any supernatural creatures that could do that, and he didn't even get to research it.

Suddenly he felt a flare of worry from behind, and he turned to see his mom standing in the doorway. He smiled at her, and she returned it but it didn't last. Sunday was spent trying to explain to her why he hadn't been home for two days, and why he hadn't been answering his phone. He'd really scared his parents half to death, but it wasn't his intention. They didn't have the entire story, just that he had gotten hurt and spent the weekend at Scott's. He honestly didn't think they'd accept the full story...

And what sane person would? Telling someone that you died and then got magically resurrected by a hellhound wasn't exactly something you just mention over breakfast. 

"Honey...are you sure you want to go to school today?" She asked, stepping closer. "You can miss just one day can't you? I don't want you straining yourself."

He turned to her, smile faltering some. "I can, but I don't want to. I'll be fine mom, I promise. Besides Scott will be here any minute, I can't just cancel on him now."

She sighed, but nodded. "Just be careful and promise you'll call me if anything goes wrong."

He smiled, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her. "I will. I promise."

Her worry ebbed a little and slowly replaced itself with love and comfort. Gently she pulled back and planted a kiss on his forehead. "Have a good day honey."

"That's the plan..."

The doorbell rang and Mason's face lit up. "That's him! I'll see you later mom!" He replied, pecking her on the cheek before rushing out his room. 

He pulled it open and smiled at the sight of Liam. The werewolf returned the smile, but Mason could feel the waves of anxiety rolling off of him. He didn't want him going to school today either.

He groaned, slugging his back onto his shoulder and stepping out the house. "You too eh?" He asked, closing the door and locking it.

"What? What are you talking about?" Liam asked, turning and following his best friend to Stiles' jeep.

"Nothing, come on."

Both climbed into the back and suddenly all eyes were on Mason, who shrunk back into his seat. He could feel all the worry and bad vibes from all three of them and he didn't like it. "What?" He quietly asked, looking at all of them.

"Just wondering if you're going to change your mind." Stiles replied. "I mean, none of us think this is a good idea. We don't what your new powers can do. You could just have a random outburst and start rampaging all over the school. Or just have a psychotic break and--!"

"We just don't think you should be going to school so soon." Scott interrupted, sending a glare at his best friend who gave an innocent shrug.

Mason smiled, truly touched by the alpha's concern. "Thanks guys, really but I'm going to school today. Nothing's going to happen. I'll be fine. I'm not going to spazz out or have a random rampage. It'll be fine, now can we please go before we're late?"

Scott glanced at Stiles and Liam, both of which giving a shrug. The alpha sighed and looked Mason in the eye, and his worry flared up some. He really didn't want anything to happen to him. "Are you sure?" He asked softly.

A moment of silence passed before Mason gave a small nod. "Positive."

Another sigh, but Scott's worry faded and was replaced with acceptance. Mason could still feel a little tint of anxiety coming off him though. "Alright." 

........................

As soon as they arrived at the school, Scott and Stiles were greeted by their girlfriends. Malia practically dragged Mason out of the backseat of the car and into her arms. The sophomore was shocked by the immense relief the werecoyote was feeling, but returned her embrace. Kira hugged him after and he smile at the bubbly feeling he got from her.

"It's good to know you're okay." She replied after releasing him.

His smile grew and he looked at the ground. "Thanks. It's good to still be alive." 

"I think I can speak for everyone when I say no more witch hunting." Malia replied, glaring at Liam and giving his left arm a rough punch. "And no more using your best friends as bait!" 

"Ow! Hey, I said I was sorry already!" The young beta nearly whined, rubbing his arm with a grimace.

"Alright, alright that's enough." Stiles intervened, wrapping his arms around Malia's shoulders. "Come on, we gotta get to homeroom."

Scott nodded in agreement, taking Kira's hand. The seniors walked in together with Liam and Mason in tow. While on their way inside, a smiling Hayden greeted Liam. The two shared a kiss before joining hands and continuing on behind the seniors; Mason, however slowed down once they were inside. 

He came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, eyes wide and body trembling. His mind was jumbled and aching as hundreds of emotions came flying at him at once. Anger, happiness, lust, love, excitement, despair, anxiety, fear and a ton of other emotions. He gasped in pain, which caught the attention of his friends. 

Suddenly it felt as if his nose was running. He looked down and to his immense horror he saw blood staining his clothes. With shaking hands he reached up and touched under his nostril, jumping when he found blood on his fingers. A wave of different emotions hit him again and he squeezed his eyes shut. More blood gushed from his nose, running down his face, into his mouth, and onto his clothes. Tiny droplets fell from his chin and onto the floor.

He looked up to see all of his friends staring at him wide and horrified eyes. Liam stepped forward and Mason could set his panic apart from all the other emotions overwhelming him for just a split second. He saw Liam's mouth open and something like oh my god being shouted, but whatever he said didn't register with Mason. He simply stared at him with far away and confused glassy eyes.

"L..Liam?" He mumbled before his legs gave out on him and he crumbled to the ground. A few shadows fell over him, but his vision was fuzzy and distorted. He heard multiple murmurs and cries but nothing was clear, and soon the world vanished behind a black curtain.


	6. Chapter 6

Mason inhaled deeply as his eyes opened and his body bolted upright. He looked around and found himself in the woods. Slowly, he searched around and discovered that he was alone...and sitting on top of this gigantic tree stump. It was bright, but oddly enough he couldn't enough detect the sun in the sky...there was just pure white brightness and clouds floating in the sky.

"Hello?" He called out, voice echoing into the distance. "Is anybody there--!"

 ** _"We are here Mason."_** A strange distorted voice stated simply in the distance.

The sound caught the teen off guard, so much so that he jumped almost violently. He searched around frantically for the owner of the voice, but found no one. Quickly, he hopped off his seat on the tree trunk only to fall to the ground on wobbly legs.

 ** _"You are still very weak...you must rest."_ ** The voice urged, using an almost kind tone.

Without warning, two strong arms were underneath him and scooping him up bridal style. Stunned, Mason let out a strangled scream and turned to see Parrish carrying him effortlessly in his arms. The only thing was...it didn't really feel like the deputy. Sure it looked like him, but his eyes...instead of apple green they were a fiery red orange. Not to mention he was completely naked and had an aura of fire around him. A fire that strangely didn't harm either one of them.

Parrish returned him to his spot on the tree's trunk and as soon as he did so a swarm of purple colored fireflies sprung forth from in between the bark's cracks. It swirled around him like a tornado before settling on his skin, making him light up and twinkle like a star.

 ** _"This tree...the Nemeton...it will give you strength. Strength you will need...if you are going to defeat her."_** Parrish replied.

Mason's brow furrowed with confusion. What was the heck was he talking about? "Wait a minute I..I don't understand. Wh..who will I need the strength to defeat?"

The other met his eyes and a shiver raced down his spine. His fierce red orange eyes burned with an intensity stronger than a wild forest fire. Suddenly, he roughly gripped Mason's hand and as soon as their hands connected a shock ran through the teen and he gasped, his eyes bleeding from dark brown to iridescent purple.

A thousand images suddenly flooded through his mind, each one of them were of the same person. An aged woman with glowing magenta eyes that were filled with malice and bloodlust. Her silver hair ran down her back, stopping at her waist. Although she was a...mature woman, time hadn't erased the beauty from her face. The images flooding his mind came to fast for him to catch what she was doing in each one, but he caught some. In one she was over a bubbling cauldron, chanting with her arms held high. Mason could feel her anger and cold determination bubbling inside. In another image she held a bloody dagger in her hand, standing over something or someone with a rather triumphant look in her eyes and in the last one...she had her taloned hand around someone's throat and her magenta were glowing brighter than usual.

As the last image faded away Mason gasped as he was shoved back into reality and he heard Parrish whisper, _**"Kiade."**_

.........................

Liam, Scott and Brett nearly jumped out of their skin as a terrified scream assaulted their eardrums. The trio turned to see Mason, sitting upright on Deaton's metal slab eyes and mouth open wide as he screamed.

Brett was the first one to spring into action, jumping up and running to the other's side. "Mason?! Hey? Hey!?" He called, gently grabbing the other's face and pulling it back towards his own. "Mason..." That managed to catch the dazed teen's attention and the other stopped his screaming and took in his surroundings. "You're alright, hey you're okay." He assured him, voice barely above a whisper.

The smaller teen gasped and panted softly, trying to calm down. Brett's words seemed to register as he began to nod, searching around the room. As soon as his eyes landed on Scott and Liam, Mason relaxed completely. With a sigh he leaned on the Ito beta's arm who responded by taking his hand and kissing it.

Soon he was calm enough to be able to feel the different emotions hanging in the air. Fear, which was rapidly turning into relief, happiness and a little bit of anxiety. Once Mason had settled, Scott stood and went to his side. "Are you okay?" He asked softly, giving off a wave of caring and tenderness. When Mason nodded, the alpha gently took his other hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

The dark skinned teen sighed, leaning a bit closer to the alpha. "I..I think so, I don't know what happe--!"

"Well to put it simply...Stiles was right." Liam explained, joining the others at his best friend's side. "We got into school and you just...had this massive nosebleed. It was really terrifying. Scott and I rushed you over here, and Deaton said that--!"

"Wait...who?" Mason interrupted, brows furrowing with confusion. "Who's--!"

"Deaton's a good friend of mine." Scott immediately intercepted. "He's a Druid, a kind of expert on the supernatural world. Since none of us know what's going on with you we thought we'd bring you to him and let him take a look at you. If anyone can figure out what you are, it's him."

"And I think I've come up with a conclusion." A new voice replied from the doorway.

They all turned to see an African American man standing in the door frame. He was bald with kind brown eyes, but perhaps the most strangest thing about him was...Mason couldn't feel anything coming off of him. Almost as if he had no emotions to detect, it was a little unsettling. 

"Or a suggestion at least." He mumbled as he came closer, smiling at Mason. "You can feel emotions, can't you?"

Mason nodded slowly, wondering just what the man was aiming at.

"Good...tell me what each of your friends is feeling right now. Everyone give him some room so he doesn't get overwhelmed." Deaton instructed, waving the three wolves away.

Slowly they all obliged and backed away, leaving Mason alone on the metal slab. He turned to Deaton, who gave him an encouraging nod towards the three. After a deep breath, he nodded and looked at Liam.

The short beta smiled at him, a smile that he happily returned. A warm tingle started up in his gut and his smile grew. "Liam is feeling...excited and happy." He replied, turning to Scott.

"Scott is...anxious but relieved." He stated softly, meeting the alpha's eyes. Something akin to comfort suddenly beamed off Scott and Mason smiled before finally turning to Brett. "And Brett..." His voice trailed away as the same warm aura he had felt before closed around him. It was nearly overwhelming with how strong it felt, but it's strength wasn't a bad thing. In fact it was the exact opposite.

"Brett is...euphoric." He finally whispered, shyly stealing a glance at the tall wolf who smiled at him.

Deaton nodded, walking up to the teen and gently gripping his shoulder. "Very well done Mason, you see...I think that you are an empath."

"An empath?" Scott repeated. "What is that?"

"A rare supernatural creature capable of feeling the emotions of those around them. They're extremely powerful and only come around every two hundred years or so." Deaton explained. "I never thought I would actually encounter one myself. Although I'm surprised that something like this hasn't happened before."

"What do you mean?" Mason inquired.

"Well...as I said before, empaths are capable of feeling the emotions of others. While humans are the most impactful, it also includes animals. The swarm of emotions hitting them...sometimes it proves to be damaging. Usually empaths are temporarily driven mad or random bleeding begins, typically through the nose but also through the ears and mouth."

Mason's eyes grew with fear and he backed away some. "Wh..what do you mean driven mad?"

"It's the emotions. They can get to a point where it's simply just too much and well...the empath breaks down and eventually--!"

"Deaton, I really don't think he needs to be hearing about all of this." Scott intervened, casting a worried look at the sophomore.

Liam quickly moved past the alpha and enveloped his friend in his arms. Mason smiled softly, nuzzling his shoulder and giving into the fuzzy feeling of his affection and love.

You're going to be okay. Liam whispered. I won't let anything happen to you...I swear.

"I know." He whispered back.

"Huh?" Liam mumbled, pulling away to look him in the eyes. "What'd you say?"

Mason furrowed his brow, frowning slightly. His friend's fuzzy aura was getting less warm and a feeling of confusion drowned out the happiness. Why was Liam acting and feeling so lost? All he had done was responded to what he had said.

The feeling of confusion and Mason looked at Scott and Brett. Deaton also looked a bit troubled, but he still couldn't detect any emotion.

"Mason, what do you know?" Brett asked.

"I...what do you mean, Liam just said--!"

The Ito beta shook his head, eyes never leaving Mason's. "No, Mason...Liam didn't say anything."

The sophomore's face twisted with confusion. What the hell did he mean Liam hadn't said anything, he had heard him loud and clear! His head shook and he looked at his best friend, who's confusion was growing by the second.

"But you just said..."

Liam gently took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Mason, I didn't say anything..."

His head shook and he frowned. "But I heard it! I heard you tell me that I was going to be okay! That you wouldn't let anything happen to me, I..I heard you say it! I know I did I know--!"

"Mason...I didn't say that." Liam insisted again, his eyes growing wide. An aura of fear suddenly enveloped him, and Mason tried to drop his hand only to have him grip it a bit tighter. "Mason...I didn't say it, I thought it."

The dark skinned teen froze, and he yanked his hand away. Thought it? How was that possible? It wasn't! It couldn't have been! Liam had really thought it then why was he able to hear it!?

Sensing that the teen was on the verge of panic, Deaton cleared his throat. "Deep breaths Mason, take deep breaths. There's really no need for alarm."

"But you said I was an empath not a mind reader, so how could I have--!"

"It just means that your powers are growing, that's all. Our thoughts are what we feel, and that's what you can sense. What other people feel. That's why you heard what he was thinking. As I said before, empaths are very powerful creatures. Your powers can be...unlimited."

Mason looked away, trying desperately not to freak out. Ever since Liam turned into a werewolf he had been intrigued by the supernatural world, but...this was a bit too much. He didn't want this, didn't ask for it and sure as hell didn't need it!

"Mason, for the time being you're going to have to stay away from crowds. Large groups of people just aren't safe, especially not right now when your powers are growing this rapidly. The larger the group, the bigger the danger so...school is going to be out of the question. At least until you can control your powers."

Scott cleared his throat, getting the group's attention. "I...I agree with Deaton. School's just not safe."

"Well how am I gonna go to pass my classes? I can't just not go to school..."

"I'll bring your work to you, but...you can't go to school." Liam chipped in, coming a bit closer to him. "Not yet, it's too dangerous. I don't want a repeat of today. Not now or ever."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Mason's lips and he nodded. "Okay...okay."

.....................

Mason sighed in relief as Brett pulled into the driveway of the Hewitt household. The lights were off and both of his parents' cars were gone. He almost felt relieved that he'd be alone. The last he wanted was to feel more emotions that weren't his own.

He turned to the werewolf and smiled softly. "Thanks for bringing me home Brett...I'm sorry you're all mixed up in this."

"Don't be, because I'm not." He assured him, gently taking his hand. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Smiling shyly, Mason nodded with a blush. He watched as the other took his hand and kissed it, feeling his heart flutter in his chest. The minute his lips touched his hand, an echo of that lovely warm feeling ran throughout him. A shudder went through him and he sucked in a breath.

Brett dropped his hand and gently gripped his chin, tilting his head upwards so he was looking up at him. Their eyes locked and Mason gasped softly as the other leaned in closer, realization of what the other was going to do hitting him hard. Soon their lips were just inches apart, and Brett's hands cupped his face. Mason's eyes slipped shut just as their lips met and he practically melted into the kiss.

He was surprised at how well their lips fit together, and they both made a soft noise of approval. Mason's arms made their way around the werewolf's neck, pulling him closer. His entire body felt warm and numb, like puddy. A light gasp escaped him when they pulled away and Brett gently stroked his cheek.

"We're going to figure this out Mason...I just know we will. Everything is going to be okay." The wolf assured him, kissing his forehead. "I promise."

A smile spread across the other's face and he nodded softly. "I..I know."


	7. Chapter 7

Mason sighed as he skimmed through the pages of his history book. He was supposed to be doing a Venn diagram on the differences and similarities between the Federalists and the Anti Federalists, but he couldn't seem to focus. His mind was in a thousand places at once.

Defeated, he placed the papers on the coffee table and looked at the clock. It was almost nine thirty. Great, another day wasted. His phone vibrated on the coffee table, and he picked it up.

 _ **[TEXT FROM LIAM]:**_ I know you hate being stuck at home but for now there's nothin we can do. On the bright side, my mom is making spaghetti for dinner :) Be there in twenty.

He smiled and placed his phone on the couch. Leave it to Liam to make sure he was well taken care of. His parents were working late tonight, and there was nothing in the house to eat. When he had vented about the lack of food to his friend he immediately insisted that he come to his house for dinner. Mason tried his hardest to decline, not wanting to be a bother, but there was no dissuading Liam.

Now, the wolf was taking him to his house for dinner. Part of him really wanted to go since it had been a long while since he had seen Liam's parents. They were like his second family after all, and although he really wanted to see them, another part of him didn't want to go. He wanted to see the Dunbars, really he did but being forced to feel what they felt wasn't exactly a perk.

A soft groan left him as pain spiked in his head once again. He had woken up with a massive headache that morning, one that wouldn't seem to go away. His brain had been throbbing painfully in his skull all day and no amount of aspirin seemed to help. Grunting in pain he rubbed his temples, and sat back on the couch.

His eyes moved to the history book on his lap, and he frowned. Angry and irritated, he slammed the book shut and tossed it away before lying down completely on the couch. Chocolate brown eyes squeezed shut as he curled up, lying his head on one of the pillows. There was no way today could possibly get any worse...

He had been out of school for three days now, and though Liam was true to his word and brought him his work, it was no substitute for actually going to school. He hadn't left his house in three days, not to mention his parents were beginning to worry. After all the only reason they were allowing him to stay home was because he was pretending to be seriously ill. Both of them missed work for two days trying to care for him, but after a lot of convincing (and A LOT of begging on his part ) they finally went back to their jobs.

Lying wasn't something he enjoyed doing, but how could he possibly tell them the truth? They'd never believe him.

Guess this was what it meant to be a supernatural creature.

Sighing, he tried to push his thoughts away. Beating himself up over this crap wasn't helping anything, and it certainly wasn't going to make his headache go away. After a few deep breaths his body relaxed and he snuggled deeper into the couch, feeling himself relax and the ache in his head began to dull.

_**"Mason. Mason?"** _

The teen bolted upright with wide eyes, quickly scanning his surroundings. There was no one in sight, and why would there be? He was home alone, and even if someone was in the house he would have sensed something. And he couldn't detect any emotions nearby. Perhaps the strangest thing of all...

He had heard that voice before, he was certain of it. Where he had heard it, he didn't know but he had definitely heard it before.

Slowly, Mason rose from the couch and took a look around. "Hello? Who's--!" His own startled gasp interrupted him as he turned and came face to face with Parrish. The deputy's face was stone cold and emotionless, sending chills down the teen's spine. He looked up and into the apple green orbs. As soon as their eyes locked, Mason's eyes melted from brown to violet and his knees buckled sending him to the ground.

Fire erupted around the deputy, burning his clothes to ashes. He knelt down and gently gathered the small teen in his arms before turning and walking towards the backdoor.

"H..hey! Wait a minute, wh..where are we going?" Mason asked, looking up at him with glowing eyes. He struggled weakly, but it died down just as quickly as it began.

 _ **"You shall soon see, but for now please rest yourself.**_ _**The closer we get...the weaker you shall become."**_

The teen frowned. The closer they got? The closer they got to _what!?_

Mason opened his mouth to protest, but for some reason he felt...drowsy. His body sagged in the older man's arms and he rested his head against his chest. Sleep felt inevitable, but he didn't want to sleep. No, he wanted to know where they were going. His eyes struggled to keep open, but it didn't deter him from trying to ask his question.

"I..I feel sleepy..." He stated, stifling a yawn. "Wh..why do I--!"

 _ **"You are weak. You must rest."**_ The deputy insisted once again, looking down at him with glowing eyes. _ **"Rest."**_

"N..no!" The other cried shaking his head. He felt confused and a bit panicked. He wasn't tired, in fact he was fine just a minute ago! "I'm not even--"

Suddenly the fire surrounding Parrish flared up, and almost immediately he lost his battle. A wave of drowsiness hit him and his words were halted abruptly. With a soft sigh, Mason's glowing violet eyes slipped shut and he sagged against the other completely. Sated, he carried the slumbering teen out of the backdoor of his house and deep into the forest.

........................

Liam knocked on the front door of his best friend's house, bouncing on his toes as he awaited a response. For reasons unknown the werewolf felt anxious. Mason hadn't answered his earlier texts, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried.

To his immense dread there wasn't one. His heartbeat quickened in his chest and he knocked again, louder and even more anxious than before. Why wasn't Mason answering the door?! Was something wrong!? Had he gotten hurt, or worse had he been attacked!?

 _Relax Liam, relax._ He told himself. _Maybe he's just...asleep!_

The McCall beta seemed to accept that idea and forced himself to relax, taking a few deep breaths. Panic wouldn't get him anywhere. Quickly he knelt down and lifted up the welcome mat, smiling at the spare key. He scooped it up and unlocked the door, hurrying inside.

"Mason!?" He called, closing the door behind him. "Mason, you here!?"

He was answered by a rather alarming silence, which only made his panic worsen. The beta quickly scurried about the house in search for his best friend, only to come up empty handed. Adding to his panic was the realization that Mason's scent wasn't in the house and he had left his phone lying abandoned on the living room coffee table. Frantic the werewolf ran around outside calling out for him, but Mason was nowhere to be found.

His breathing escalated and he ran his hands through his hair. "Where is he?" He asked himself, his fear for Mason growing by the second. "Where is he!?"

......................

Scott pulled up into the Hewitt's driveway and parked his bike. Immediately upon arriving he was greeted by a panicked Liam who practically yanked him off his bike.

"Scott! Scott, I can't find him!" He exclaimed breathlessly. "I was supposed to bring him over to my house for dinner, but when I got here...he was just gone and I can't find him anywhere!"

The alpha nodded as he listened to his beta, who reeked of panic. His entire body was shaking and his blue eyes were red and puffy from crying. Scott gripped his shoulder in an effort to comfort him. "Don't worry Liam, we'll find him. Just...just calm down. Take a moment to sit down and breathe. It'll be alright."

Liam nodded shakily and sat on the front door's steps, head buried in his hands. He was trying his best not to just break down into tears, and was failing miserably. Things seemed to be going so well, and now Mason's vanished into thin air.

They took one step forward just to get knocked three steps back.

The alpha sighed and tried to stay optimistic as he circled the house in search of clues. After sniffing the air around the house and finding no traces of their friend, he admit defeat and decided to head back to Liam. Just as he was about to return to his beta, he noticed something. Scorch marks leading from the backdoor into the woods. Brown eyes widened as realization hit and Scott return to the front door where Liam was waiting.

"Parrish." He stated with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Wherever Mason is...he's with Parrish."

....................

"Scott what's going on?" Lydia asked the alpha through her phone. She watched the trees race by as Malia drove them to Mason's house. Kira and Brett were in the backseat, both anxious and jittery. Then again they were all afraid.

"Parrish took Mason, we don't know where but he definitely took him." The alpha explained to her, voice frantic and almost panicky.

Green eyes widened. "Parrish? What do you mean Parrish took him!? How do you know--!"

"There were scorch marks around the backdoor of Mason's house." Scott immediately countered. "It has to be him Lydia."

The redhead sighed, allowing her eyes to slip closed. This wasn't the first time he had taken Mason, but what could the deputy possibly want with him? They had to share some kind of bond, due to Parrish being the one to bring him back from the dead but...what kind of bond was it? And was it going to wind up hurting Mason again?

She pulled her phone away from her ear and put the alpha on speaker. "Any idea where they could have gone?" She asked.

Scott's frustration and worry showed in his voice. "No idea, but we have to find them."

Kira squeezed her head in between Lydia and Malia's. "Well, how are we supposed to do that if we don't even know--! _MALIA LOOK OUT!_ "

The werecoyote's eyes shot back to the road and she shouted a curse at the sight of a man right in her path. She swerved in order to avoid hitting him, sending the car spinning out of control with all of them screaming inside. They skid to a stop a couple of feet away, all of them wide eyed and panting.

"What...what the _**fuck**_ was that?!" Brett exclaimed breathily, hand coming up to cover his racing heart.

" _ **KIRA!? LYDIA!?** Are you guys okay!?_" Scott asked through the phone, his voice dripping panic.

"We're fine." Malia assured him. "Nearly hit some asshole just standing in the middle of the road, but we're okay."

"Come on, we gotta see if he's alright." Kira replied unbuckling her seatbelt and hopping out of the car, the others following after.

"Hey! Hey are you okay!?" The Kitsune called out, slowing down some when she didn't receive a response. She held out her hand, halting her friends behind her. She turned and gave them a worried glance, but Lydia continued ahead of her.

"Lydia!" Kira whispered, grabbing her wrist. "Something's not right here." She warned.

The redhead met her eyes. "Don't worry. I've...I've got this." She assured her before pulling herself out of the other's grip.

Slowly under the worried gaze of her friends she approached the still figure. Oddly enough the closer she got the more he familiar he became. The sturdy build, oddly neat but messy hair and broad shoulders. It looked a lot like...

"Jordan?" She whispered from behind, reaching up and touching his shoulder.

The man growled and slowly turned over his shoulder, confirming her suspicions. While she was relieved to know that it was Parrish, she couldn't help but notice that Mason wasn't with him.

Her blood ran cold when she made a rather shocking discovery. The deputy's eyes weren't green anymore, instead they glowed an oddly bright reddish orange. That however quickly changed once he seemed to register who she was. They slowly died down to their usual apple green color, and his face scrunched up with confusion.

"Lydia?"

The redhead sighed in relief and held up her phone. "Scott...we found Parrish."

 


	8. Chapter 8

Mason sat up with a startled gasp. His skin was a thousand degrees and slackened with sweat. His heart pounded in his chest and he was breathing like he just ran a marathon. Had he had a nightmare?

Dazed and confused, he looked around and found himself sitting on the same tree stump he'd seen in his dreams. He couldn't help but wonder what was so important about this thing. It radiated with a strange life and power just as it always did. Maybe it was supernatural too? Slowly he ran his fingers over the rough wood, admiring the number of rings it had. One thing was clear, this tree was old as hell.

"Mason...Mason..." A strange disembodied voice called to him.

Strangely it was alien to him, not like the one he usually heard. It was a female voice and it sounded oddly young, like it belonged to someone that was his age.

A shiver ran down his spine as he called back to whoever it was calling him. "H..hello? Who's there?"

He turned and his suspicions were confirmed when he came face to face with a skinny light skinned teenage girl.  She had piercing brown eyes so dark they appeared black, and an afro of messy light brown girls. A loose pink shirt and baggy gray sweatpants clung to her tiny frame. Her pink lips were set in a firm frown and there was an empty look on her face.

"Who are you?" Mason asked softly.

She met his eyes and a tremble of fear went down his spine. "A friend."

................

"Parrish!" Malia shouted, snapping her fingers in front of the deputy's face.

Jordan immediately jumped out of his trance, eyes darting around until they landed on the werecoyote. He immediately shrunk away from the sheer intensity of her gaze. Her eyes burned a bright and cold blue and they held a dangerous intent in them.

Lydia pulled her back some so she could step forward and kneel in front of him. "Parrish." She stated, voice full of relief. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "You're back..."

"Back?" He echoed. "I...I don't understand--!"

"You were out wandering in the woods...naked I might add." Stiles replied, eyes drifting down somewhat before returning to his face.

Jordan blushed deeply, looking down to find himself wrapped up in a blanket. He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, his eyes moving back to the group of teenagers.

Scott stood in front of him, looking supportive but anxious. Stiles was at his side, along with Kira. Malia and Lydia were closer to him and Liam was pacing around behind them all. They all seemed to be nervous, but he definitely seemed to be the most nervous one in the room.

"Do you have any idea where I might have been going by any chance?" He asked, turning to Scott, who immediately shook his head.

"No. You didn't seem to be going anywhere, you were just standing in the middle of the road. Malia almost ran you over."

"So that begs the question...what were you doing in the middle of the road?" Malia asked.

"And where were you coming from?" Kira added.

Jordan shrugged his shoulders, looking more lost than any of the teenagers before him. "I have no idea...whenever this thing takes over I have no control. Usually...in my dreams I go to the woods and sit on this huge tree stump and...then I'm suddenly engulfed in flames and all these bodies appear. Then I just wake up in my house, that's how it always happens. I don't just randomly stop in the middle of the road."

"So you were coming from the woods." Stiles stated. "That much we know, but you were doing something other than sitting on the Nemeton and you weren't alone either."

"The...what?" The deputy asked.

"The Nemeton." Lydia repeated, getting his attention. "It's this powerful supernatural beacon that--!"

"It's that big fat tree stump you sit on in your dreams." Stiles interrupted, sensing that Lydia's explanation was only going to confuse him even more.

"Right." The redhead confirmed, meeting the deputy's eyes. She could see the fear in his green eyes and she gently gripped his hand. It was obvious that he still hadn't accepted all of this and honestly she didn't blame him. "Hey...it's going to be okay, we'll figure this out."

Her words offered no solace. "And what if we don't? Then...then I'll be responsible for whatever happens to Mason, and I...I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to him, I already put his life in danger once."

Lydia's eyes widened and she shook her head, taken aback by his words. "Parrish...you never put him in danger. You saved his life, brought him back from the dead! You weren't trying to harm him, you were trying to protect..."

All eyes fell on the banshee as she fell quiet and Scott took a step forward. "Lydia?"

She looked up and green eyes met brown. "They're connected." She stated softly, releasing the deputy's hand and rising to her feet. "Mason is connected to Parrish."

"Yeah so?" Malia murmured, not getting what her friend was aiming at. "We've already established that."

"So, where does Parrish go every time he shifts? The Nemeton! That's where he took Mason, it has to be!"

Stiles nodded, looking at the alpha. "It makes sense."

Liam stopped his pacing, eyes filling up with determination. "So to find Mason--!"

"We have to find the Nemeton." Scott finished, eyes bleeding red.

....................

"A friend?" Mason repeated, raising a brow. "Well, that's funny because I've never seen you before."

"My name is Meredith...I'm a good of friend of Lydia's...and Scott's." She replied, looking up at him.

Her gaze was striking, like a knife being embedded in flesh. Mason didn't need to be supernatural to know that she was dangerous. Much like Deaton, he couldn't feel anything coming off of her either which wasn't exactly comforting. She was a bit twitchy and skittish too, like she was expecting something to jump out at her.

"What are you? What is this place? What--!"

"I'm a banshee, like Lydia." Her eyes moved to the stump. "This...this is the source of all the supernatural in Beacon Hills. It's called the Nemeton and it acts like a magnet...pulling the supernatural here." She explained, approaching the old tree and stroking the wood. "It is over a thousand years old, a truly ancient power...that needs your help."

Brown eyes widened. "My help? What could I possibly--!?"

"You're an empath. A being with almost limitless power, capable of a great many things. Feeling emotion is just a taste of your power. Power that the Hellhound awakened when he resurrected you. He needs your power for two reasons...to save the Nemeton and to defeat the undefeated."

"What does that even mean?" Mason asked, more than confused. His mind traveled to Parrish, his kind eyes and gentle aura. He actually quite liked him, when he wasn't on fire and kidnapping him in the middle of the night of course. "From what I've read Hellhounds are amongst the most powerful of beings. How could I be of any use to him? I mean, I don't even know how to control this new...whatever it is."

"You can be taught how to control and manipulate your powers. Empaths are among the most feared of the supernatural world. You are much more powerful than you think, which is why the Hellhound brought you back. You're a valuable weapon."

Well that certainly wasn't comforting. He knew that he had some sort of weird bond with the deputy, but this wasn't exactly what he had pictured. In all honestly Mason wasn't quite sure if he was okay with any of it period. Being a weapon in a hellhound's arsenal? Didn't exactly sound like a good thing.

Shaking his head, he looked back at her. "And who's going to train me to help me learn? Empaths aren't exactly a dominant creature in the supernatural world population wise. According to Deaton one only shows up every two hundred years...so it's just me."

Meredith met his eyes again, and her gaze blew right through his soul. "You don't need an empath to teach you. There are many other ways to learn."

"How?"

To the teen's immense surprise, Meredith began to slowly fade away! "Follow what you feel." She whispered before she was gone completely, her voice echoing into the distance.

"Wait!" Mason called, but she was already gone.

 


	9. Chapter 9

_Follow what you feel._ Those had been Meredith's last words to him before she had vanished and honestly he was a little upset with her. The forest was completely abandoned, so what was he supposed to be feeling exactly?

"What the hell am I supposed to follow?" Mason growled as he trudged through the empty forest. "There's nothing here!"

He had been walking blindly for what felt like hours and he hadn't felt a single thing, simply because...there was nothing to feel! No animals, no people; hell he hadn't even seen a bug!

Frustrated beyond belief he stopped walking and looked around. "What am I supposed to do?!" He called out, voice echoing into the distance. "Meredith?!"

His cries were met with silence and he let out another deep breath. This couldn't possibly get any worse. He had never felt more alone and lost in his entire life. He had no idea what to do or where he was and his powers weren't going to help him any either! They were useless without people around him, and now he was supposed to follow what he felt when the place he was abandoned in by some hellhound with a vengeance was deserted!?

Helpless and void of any hope, Mason looked around him. His vision quickly blurred with tears and he dropped to his knees before quickly curling up. He fought the ever growing urge to sob, not wanting to be one hundred percent pathetic, just...a good eighty percent was enough for him right now.

"What do I do...?" He asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer.

.........................

  
"How exactly are we supposed to find the Nemeton?" Brett asked, looking around at the McCall pack like they were all insane. "In case you've forgotten, you can only find it if it wants to be found. It doesn't have an exact location."

Scott met his eyes and Brett was astonished at the look of determination in his eyes. "We'll figure out a way. We've done it before, and we can do it again."

"We might not even need to look for it at all." Kira chimed in, blushing when all the attention fell on her. "I mean Parrish has never had trouble finding it before right? Can't he just take us there?"

"I only go there in my sleep." Jordan intervened. "This isn't something I control. I can't just go whenever I feel like it. I only go at night and what are you going to do anyway? Let me fall asleep and then follow me while I sleepwalk my way there?"

"Why not?" Stiles asked. "I mean that's actually a good plan that would work. You only get aggressive if someone tries to stop you. We just won't touch you, and we'll be sure to be extra quiet so we don't wake you up."

"They're right." Lydia agreed, throwing an encouraging smile at the deputy who lightly smiled back. "You can find it Jordan, or at least the Hellhound part of you can."

"I'm sorry... _Hellhound?_ " Malia echoed, casting a strange look at Parrish.

"Yeah, I think that's what Parrish. I did some reading around and he fits all the descriptions. Hellhounds are immune to fire and have superhuman strength, along with a deep connection to death and the supernatural. They can also act as...basically cleaners for the supernatural world, getting rid of bodies and protecting the secret world."

The werecoyote nodded. "Well, he does a pretty good job of that apparently."

"That would explain most of my dreams..." Parrish mumbled, letting her words sink in and register. A hellhound? Didn't exactly sound heroic or anything like that, but she was spot on and at least now he had an idea of what he was. It was oddly comforting.

Sighing, the deputy dropped his head and took a minute to think things over. He knew that they needed to find the missing teen, and they were all desperate and eager. Mason had only been missing for a day, but he wouldn't survive out there on his own for long. All of this was his fault regardless of what everyone else said. He was the one who took Mason out there and left him...now he needed to get him back home where he belonged. Bringing himself out of his thoughts, Jordan looked over into the kitchen. His eyes fell on the stove's clock.

Five thirty. In a few hours that would hopefully go by quickly the sun would go down and he'd be able to lead them to whatever the tree was called.

"When the sun goes down...that's when we'll go after Mason."

........................

Mason hummed softly as he made his way back to the gigantic tree stump. He figured that maybe the reason why he wasn't feeling anything we because he left. After all the tree was...sort of alive in a way, maybe that's what he should have been "feeling."

The stump seemed to be excited by his return, glowing the same shade of violet it always did whenever he came around. He climbed on top of the smooth wood and sat down with his legs crossed. Letting out a deep breath, he relaxed his shoulders and let his eyes slip closed.

Getting frustrated wasn't the way to go. Maybe if he just calmed down for a moment and actually focused he'd be able to figure this out.

As he sat there his thoughts drifted to his friends and family. He had no idea how long he'd been gone, but hopefully it wasn't too long. He didn't want them to worry. He could picture it now. His mom's frightened face and tearful eyes, Brett's angry but concerned scowl that he always put on when he was worried but mostly he could see Liam's sad little puppy dog face. It always amazed him how sweet and innocent his best friend could look at times.

A snapping twig brought him out of his thoughts and back into reality. His eyes darted around until they landed on a face that made relief flood through Mason. Big blue eyes, small but wide and muscular frame, soft and almost wild brownish blonde hair. The short teen was pacing just a few feet away, gnawing on his thumbnail. Mason could feel the panic coming off of him, with each step he took a wave rolled off of him and hit Mason like a wrecking ball.

"Liam?!" He called, voice shaky from relief and elation. "Liam?!"

To his immense shock and confusion, his best friend didn't answer him. Didn't even look up! He just continued to frantically pace around. It was like he wasn't even aware of Mason's presence.

"Liam?" He called again, standing up and slowly approaching him."Liam, it's me. I'm--!"

"He can't hear you." Meredith stated, earning a startled yelp from Mason. "Because he's not really here."

Mason turned to see her standing beside him, her eyes locked on Liam. "I don't understand. If he's not here then how can I--!"

"You felt his panic and desperation when you are thinking about him, and it brought him to you." Mason opened his mouth to speak but she held up a hand, silencing him. She looked at him with dark and almost knowing eyes. It was like she was the one who could feel his emotions instead of it being vice versa.

"You continue to forget just how powerful you are." She murmured, walking behind him and gently gripping his shoulders.

Mason shrunk her touch, shivering lightly. Her nails felt like talons digging into his shoulders and he could feel her piercing eyes burning into him. He gulped softly, wondering just what her goal was.

"Relax." She just about ordered, tightening her grip slightly.

He sucked in a tiny gasp, but tried to oblige. He let out a shaky breath and wiggled the tension out of his limbs. "Okay, okay...I'm relaxed."

"Good. Now...let him know you're okay."

"What?"

"Tell Liam you're okay." She repeated, lifting one hand to point at the werewolf a few feet away.

"How?" Mason inquired. "You just said he can't hear me."

"Concentrate." The banshee ordered. "Don't think of anything but him and your message to him and then project that message. Let him feel what you're feeling...and then tell him you're alive and well."

With another deep breath, he nodded and let his eyes slip closed. He let everything drift away except Liam. His thoughts became completely centered on his best friend. Images flashed through his mind. His friend in Scott's house pacing the dinning room floor, big blue eyes wide with worry. Anxiety coming off of him in waves.

 _Liam...I'm okay._ He whispered.

In that instant the werewolf stopped his pacing and looked up in pure shock. Almost frantic he looked around before shouting for his alpha and running off. The image vanished soon after and Mason was thrown back into reality.

He looked up to find that Liam was gone, and Meredith was at his side once again. The banshee gave him a small smile, looking at the barren spot. "You did it."

  
......................

_I'm okay._

That was what Liam heard when he was pacing around Scott's dining room. It was Mason's voice. He didn't know how but Mason had spoken to him, and it put his mind at ease knowing that his friend was alright.

Everyone else seemed to be occupying themselves as they waited for nightfall, but he couldn't seem to relax. Brett, who was just as anxious and worried had managed to fall asleep on the living room couch, Lydia and Jordan were conversing outside, Malia and Stiles were sitting together on the stairs and Scott and Kira had vanished upstairs.

" _SCOTT!_ " Liam practically screamed shoving past Malia and Stiles, ignoring the werecoyote's protests.

Without a second thought, he forced his way into the alpha's room. A decision he immediately regret. Scott was tangled in his bedsheets with his girlfriend. Luckily for all of them, they weren't doing anything, just laying together but it was still pretty mortifying.

Blushing, he averted his eyes. "I uh..s..sorry."

Scott sighed, shaking his head with a smile. After giving her another chaste kiss, he pulled away and sat up. "It's fine Liam, what's wrong?"

"It's Mason."

The alpha's smile dropped. "What about him?"

A relieved grin broke out on the beta's face. "He's okay!"

Confused beyond comprehension Scott raised a brow at him and turned to Kira, who shrugged. Slowly he looked back at his beta. "Liam, what are you--!"

"He told me he's okay! I..I don't know how exactly, b..but he did! I heard him!"

"Okay, okay." Scott replied, raising his hands to calm the other down. "I believe you. Did he tell you anything else? Where he was or...?"

Liam's triumphant grin melted away until he looked like a kicked puppy again. He shook his head, while he was grateful for the reassuring I'm okay, he wished Mason had given him some kind of clue as to where to find him.

"No...no it was just that."

"Well, let's be grateful that at least we know he's okay." Kira chimed in, smiling at the two of them. "I mean after all...he could have been hurt this whole time without us knowing about it."

Both alpha and beta nodded, grateful for the kitsune's optimism. Kira turned to the clock and her smile grew. "It'll be dark soon...let's get everyone ready to go."


	10. Chapter 10

_**"Mason..."** _

Mason's ears perked up at the sound of his name. He would have been freaked out but in the past few days he had died, come back to life, and found out he had these crazy new powers that he only got because he died and came back to life. After all of that nothing could really freak him out anymore.

Besides, that voice was all too familiar to him...

He opened his eyes and was immediately greeted with a burning orange red gaze. Deputy Parrish, or at least his visage, stood tall before him. His body was engulfed in flames and his face was as stone cold as a gargoyle's.

"Parrish."

_**"No...not Parrish."** _

Mason could have told him that, but decided not to speak any further on it. In all honesty, the truth behind that story would probably enough to freak him out once again.

He stood up from his seat on the Nemeton, brushing the dirt off his pants before turning back to the burning man.

"You dragged me into this." He accused softly, looking him in his bright eyes. "Why?"

_**"As I have told you before...you are my weapon."** _

"And if I don't want to be?"

A moment of silence passed between them, and they spent it just staring into each other's eyes. Mason felt himself shiver multiple times, wanting to look away. There was something strange and inhuman in those bright red orbs, and it was nothing pleasant. There was a hollow look in his eyes. Death sat in that burning gaze.

 _ **"You have no choice."**_ Parrish finally stated.

Okay, now that was new. Mason balled his fists, feeling a bit angered. How could he even say that!? "The hell I don't! You can't just bring me back from death and give me these new powers and then tell me I have no choice! I didn't ask for--!"

_**"I have given you nothing. These abilities were always within you...your death simply awakened them."** _

"Because you brought me back!"

Fiery eyes lowered and their gaze seemed to harden. _**"As I recall it...it was you who decided to chase after a force to be reckoned with. It was your choice to run into a battle blind, and it was this decision that caused your demise. I simply took advantage of the situation, and used it to my advantage. Had you not gotten yourself killed that night, I would be elsewhere searching for power."**_

Mason opened his mouth to speak, but no words would form. Slowly he closed his mouth and looked away. A part of him knew that the hellhound was right. This was all his fault...he had run into battle unprepared and defenseless. That was all on him, no matter what anyone else said. 

He did this to himself...

 _ **"You are angry, scared and confused."**_ Parrish replied, approaching him and lifting his chin so their eyes would meet. _ **"And you have every right to be, but this is not going to just disappear. No matter how much you will it away, it will not just vanish into thin air so accept it."**_

Mason looked away slowly, knowing full well that he was right. Him wishing the powers away wasn't going to do anything. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"I just...I'm just scared, no I'm downright terrified! I'm feeling crap I shouldn't be, if I get too riled up then I get random nose bleeds and I have weird ghost girls showing up and talking to me! And to put the icing on the cake a man on fire who just so happened to have resurrected me a few days ago came to my house, put me to sleep and _carried me into the woods and **left me there**!"_

Parrish took a deep breath and pulled him into his arms in a tight and very awkward hug. Mason blushed deeply and squirmed uncomfortably, the heat from the flames licking at his skin. After a few moments of awkward hugging, Parrish pulled away and gripped his shoulders.

_**"I understand your anger and your frustration. Your powers are not easy to control or comprehend, but learning to is not difficult. That is why I brought you here."** _

Mason looked up at him with wide eyes. "What?"

_**"I brought you to the Nemeton because it strengthens you, and there are people here that can teach you. They'll help you learn control and balance, but they cannot do that if you close your mind and heart. Don't reject this and don't fight it. Open up, accept it and do what you need to. That is the only way you will find your way home."** _

Brown eyes moved to the ground and Mason sighed. "How long will this take?"

_**"Cannot be said. It all depends on you, but at the latest it will take a couple of days."** _

_"DAYS!?"_

_**"Two or three at most. As I stated before...it all depends on you."** _

"No! No, I _can't_ do that! I can't just do this for a couple of days! I'm a human being! What about my needs?! I need to _eat_ , sleep... _ **SHOWER!**_ I can't just stay here--!"

_**"You forget...you are somewhere where you are protected. The Nemeton will keep you safe, nourished and energized. It knows exactly what you need and will take care of you."** _

Sighing, the dark skinned teen looked back and forth between the hellhound and the Nemeton. He took a few deep breaths, but nodded.

"Alright...alright okay..." He looked up at him. "What exactly do I have to learn?"

_**"All of the variations of your abilities."** _

_"Variations?"_ Mason repeat, giving him a confused glance. "But Deaton told me my power is--!"

_**"Limitless, yes I know but there are still different variations. You will learn them from the next apparition you encounter."** _

"Which will be?"

"Me." A new voice stated from behind.

Mason turned and his eyes immediately widened. Standing behind them was a beautiful brunette girl, who looked about Scott's age. She had dark brown eyes and full pink lips. Dark chocolate curls bounced on her shoulders, a quiver full of arrows was attached to her back and in her hands was a bow and arrow.

She smiled at him when he looked at her and a wave of familiarity washed over him. They both took a few steps closer to each other, eyes never leaving each other's. Although Mason was positive that he had never seen her before in his entire life, he couldn't help but feel like...he knew her.

"Who...who are you?" He asked, coming closer and watching as she mirrored his steps. They continued to come closer until they were just inches apart.

Her smile broke into a toothy grin, revealing her perfect pearly white teeth and beautiful dimples. "My name is Allison...Allison Argent."

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

"Why isn't it working?!" Malia nearly demanded as she paced around the room.

"Shh, Malia...it might not be working but he's still asleep." Lydia murmured, brushing a strand of hair out of the deputy's eyes as he slept.

Just as planned, Parrish had eventually managed to fall asleep but strangely...nothing was happening. Jordan hadn't moved an inch. In fact he slept like the couch was his own bed and he hadn't seen in a few months.

None of them really wanted to wake the deputy up, not because they feared the wrath of the hellhound but simply because he looked so peaceful. However it was four-thirty in the morning and the hellhound still hadn't shown up. The sun was going to be up in just a few short hours.

Sighing in defeat, a teary eyed Brett stood up. "What's the point? This is all just...just useless."

Scott, smelling the despair and hopelessness on the Ito beta, stood up and approached him. He understood full well why the beta was upset. He knew that Brett loved Mason, and now he was just sitting here doing nothing while his love was god knows where doing god knows what. Scott couldn't think of anything more nerve wracking.

With one hand, he gripped the tall teen's shoulder. "No it isn't. We'll find him Brett. We will, we just have to--!"

"Find him how? With the hellhound?!" He nearly snapped, angrily gesturing at the sleeping deputy. "Whatever is inside Parrish obviously doesn't want us to find Mason, and without it we can't! So how Scott?! How are we gonna find him?!"

The alpha opened his mouth, but no words would come forth and he slowly shut it. He had no explanation of how they'd find their friend. All he knew was that they couldn't give up and he wouldn't. Not until Mason was returned home safely, but not everyone had the same amount of faith that he did...

"Brett--!"

"It's hopeless." The buddhist murmured, tears escaping his eyes. He looked away, shaking his head lightly. "It's all just...hopeless. Maybe this is just what the hellhound wanted! To take Mason away...maybe he didn't save him, he just--!"

"No!" Liam immediately intervened, standing up from his seat on the love seat opposite of Parrish. "Mason is alive and well, he told me so--!"

Brett glared at him, teary eyes flashing golden. "Whatever you heard wasn't real Liam!"

"The hell it wasn't!" Liam nearly roared, eyes shifting gold as well. "I _**know**_ Mason. Inside and out. He's been my best friend since we were kids. I know his voice and that was it. Not only did I hear him I..I _felt_ him. It was like he was right there in the room with me, so don't tell me it wasn't real! He's alive Brett...and we're gonna find him."

"They're right." Kira agreed, looking at Brett. She saw the pain and devastation in his blue eyes and she understood it completely. She didn't even want to think of what'd she do if it was Scott in Mason's shoes. "I know things seem dull and confusing now but...we will find him. None of us want to lose him either Brett, we all love him."

"Believe me, I know better than anyone in here what it feels like to be helpless." Lydia replied, looking up at tall teen with sympathy in her eyes. "I know that things are moving agonizingly slow and it feels like we aren't doing anything except sitting around like ducklings, but getting angry and frustrated won't help. We're all worried for him but we are going to find him...I promise you that."

The buddhist beta looked at the floor, eyes still leaking tears. His bottom lip trembled and he closed his eyes, allowing more tears to slip out. With a sigh, he nodded and let out light and broken sobs.

Scott gently pulled Brett into his arms, allowing him to sob into his shoulder. The alpha threw a grateful glance at his girlfriend and Lydia, thanking them both silently with his eyes.

Everyone averted their eyes from the two, each having their own doubtful thoughts about Mason's fate.

 

...................

 

Allison Argent? Where had he heard that name before?

Mason kept his eyes focused on the pretty brunette girl, who continued to smile at him. Strangely she wasn't giving off any emotions. Maybe she was a druid like Deaton? Without warning she threw her arms around him, tackling him with a hug and knocking him back just a little.

To say he was surprised would be a huge understatement, but he returned the hug nonetheless. He smiled awkwardly, giving her a light squeeze and pat on the back. "Soooo...what's with the hug?" He asked softly. "Or do you just greet everyone like this?"

Giggling, she pulled away and wiped at her teary eyes. "No, I'm sorry. It's just...I waited so long to do that. I'm so happy to finally meet you in person. I have so much to thank you for..."

Mason blinked, slowly registering her words. "So...we have met before?"

Allison shook her head, her curls bouncing lightly. "No...we haven't. Not directly anyway, but I've been watching you and the others too. I've seen a lot of things, including the way you always help them and...the way you saved Scott from Liam. I can't even begin to thank you enough for that."

Brown eyes widened and Mason pulled away from her. How did she know about that? "I don't understand, how--!"

"The reason I'm not familiar to you is because...well I..I died, and I've been watching everything that's happened from the sidelines ever since. You were still in middle school when I was killed and Scott isn't really all that comfortable talking about me just yet. That's why I'm not very familiar to you."

"So...wait a minute..are you telling me that you're a ghost?"

There was that dimply grin again. She nodded slowly, letting her head drop down some. "Yes, I guess that's what you could call me but enough about me. I'm here to help you learn focus."

Mason raised a brow. "Focus? How is a ghost supposed to help me learn..." His voice trailed off as he turned to look at Parrish but found that he wasn't there anymore.

"It's simple really." Allison insisted, getting his attention back. "The main reason your powers are so lethal to you is because you don't know how to listen to just one emotion at a time and block out the rest. I'm here to teach you how."

She held out her hand, smiling at his reaction when he found that he could actually touch her. "Spirits can appear in a form other than spiritual Mason."

Stupefied, he nodded and followed her as she led him back to the Nemeton. She released his hand and motioned to the tree stump. "Have a seat."

The teen did as he was told, running his hand over the old oak. He sat criss crossed applesauce, looking back at Allison who had sat in the same fashion right in front of him. Her brown eyes were closed and her face was relaxed and focused.

"Alright." She breathed out, letting her shoulders relax and slump. "Take a deep breath and close your eyes..."

Mason obeyed, allowing his eyes to slip shut. He took a breath and slowly let it out, relaxing his shoulders. He tried to keep his thoughts at bay, but couldn't help but think about his friends.

_Were they okay? Were they looking for him? Did they think he was dead...again?_

"Focus." Allison ordered softly with a stern tone, making him jump slightly. "Don't get distracted. Just focus on breathing and keep your mind off anything else."

Mason nodded, although he wasn't exactly sure how this was supposed to help him. He already knew how to breathe, everyone did.

 _Stop that!_ He barked at himself internally. _Parrish said to get out of here you needed to master all the variations of your powers, so don't ponder and doubt! Just do it so you can go home!_

For a few moments he just sat there breathing softly, waiting for something to happen but there was nothing. Honestly, he didn't know what he was even expecting. He just didn't like all the quiet.

Suddenly he felt a small ping of emotion that didn't belong to him. It was warm and tingly and felt like...attraction? Curious as to where it was coming from, Mason slowly opened his eyes.

To his immense surprise, he found himself in Beacon Hills Mall! His seat on the Nemeton had turned into a seat right in the center of the mall's fountain. Smiling, he dipped his hands in the water to play with coins there before trying to find the source of the emotions he was detecting.

His eyes found a young couple that he recognized as Sharon Baker and Trent Stacy, two of his classmates. They'd been head over heels for each since the seventh grade, but they finally made things official freshman year. They were practically inseparable now and were almost always lip locking, just like they were now.

The couple were sitting at a table near the food court. They had some burgers and fries but they seemed much more interested in devouring each other than their food. Trent had his tongue deep in Sharon's throat, and she didn't seem to mind at all. He didn't exactly enjoy the sight of the happy couple and the fact that he could basically feel everything wasn't exactly a perk either. He shivered, feeling his cheeks heat up. Quickly he averted his eyes awkwardly.

"Ah, young love." Allison breathed out next to him with an almost dreamy smile. "Isn't it great?"

"Not when it's...flaunted around in public for all the world to see." Mason murmured.

Allison chuckled. "We all know the feeling of love...even you from what I've seen."

Mason's blush deepened. She knew about _Brett_ too?!

He opened his mouth to stutter out some embarrassed words, but before he could utter a sound another emotion hit him. Startled, he turned to see a young mother and her young son walking by.

The mother was a pretty redhead with blue eyes and freckled cheeks. She wore a pretty yellow sundress with tan sandals. She was exhausted but also satisfied with her son's reaction to the new Iron Man action figure she just bought for him.

Her son had inherited her blue eyes, but his hair was a light caramel brown. A few freckles were sprinkled across the bridge of his nose and he shared many of his mom's facial features. He was dressed in a gray Captain America shirt and light plaid blue shorts.

He practically radiated excitement, waving his new toy in the air. His heart pounded as he shoot pretend lasers and yelled orders to his invisible Avenger comrades. It was pretty adorable and reminded Mason of the golden years of his childhood playing with his x-men toys.

"Mason." Allison whispered, voice filled with warning but before she could say anything further, more people began appearing.

An angry businessman who was yelling obscenities through his cellphone. His suit was stained with what Mason assumed to be coffee, and his face was red with fury.

A pregnant woman who was easing her way up the steps, spasmodically rubbing circles on her bulging stomach. She felt calm but anxious at the same time, silently hoping that today wasn't the day and that her water wouldn't break while she was alone in a crowded mall.

Two punk looking teams came out of a Hot Topic, feeling proud about the new clothes they had bought. Now they were eager to upstairs, where Spencer's waited.

A shaky young man was coming down the stairs, feeling a bit worried and eager. He was in a hurry to get home to his little sister who had forgotten her key on her way out to school in the morning. Now he had to rush home and get her in the house, but he lived a little while away from the mall.

 _"Mason."_ Allison called again, her voice sounding a bit softer but much more urgent. She sounded...panicked even, but more emotions came drowning out her voice.

Two teenage girls came bounding down the stairs, feeling giddy and excited because one of them was just asked out by her crush. Following behind them was an elderly man who seemed content and wanted to hurry home to his wife, whom he just bought a gift for.

A middle aged woman sat at a table next to Trent and Sarah, sobbing her eyes out. She had just had her heart broken by her husband of twenty years, who had just informed her that he was leaving her and for her _**sister**_ no less.

A group of teenagers came bounding the stairs, each of the practically radiating laughter and happiness. They had had a nice day full of skipping class and enjoying themselves, now they were headed to the park to smoke and drink.

 _ **"MASON!"**_ Allison screamed, grabbing his shoulders and turning him so he was looking at her.

He looked at her with wide and almost frightened eyes, trying to comprehend what was going on. His headache slowly disappeared as the emotions seemed to vanish when he looked at her face. A little lost, he looked around slowly and shook his head.

"I...I...--!"

"You're bleeding." She noted, taking a handkerchief and wiping a thick trail of blood out from under his nostrils. "Too much emotion, you were supposed to focus on one."

He looked down, almost ashamed of himself. "I didn't...more and more people just kept coming and I--!"

"It's okay, we'll try again. This time I'll try to help just a little more, but this all depends on you Mason."

He nodded slowly, taking a deep breath and nodded before turning back to the crowd. A huge wave of emotions crashed onto him, followed by what felt like an even bigger wave of random thoughts that weren't his.

_Oh my god, Rebecca is gonna flip!_

_Did I talk to Jordan this morning or last night?_

_I can't believe that idiot **crashed** my SUV!_

_Gotta get home, gotta walk Sprinkles!_

Mason flinched at every thought he heard, each one seeking to get louder. Allison gripped his shoulders a bit tighter. "Focus. Pick on person and focus on them and them alone." She instructed softly.

He nodding, eyes searching until they found Sarah. He looked at her and took a deep breath, trying to listen and feel only her.

She was feeling euphoric and he couldn't say that he blamed her. He'd do anything just to see Brett's face right now. He missed the tall werewolf so much...

_God Trent, I..I never thought things would be like this between us...I wish I could tell you what I feel, but I'll wait just a little bit longer._

"Good." Allison praised. "You're doing good, keep it up."

He nodded, letting his eyes close and immediately he regret it. As soon as his eyes closed, all the other thoughts returned and drowned out Sarah. Caught off guard, he opened his eyes and found her. Quickly the other thoughts and emotions died down until they were nothing but a faint flicker.

"Good! Try someone else now." Allison instructed with a proud and even triumphant smile.

Mason nodded and his eyes moved to an older man. He was middle aged and dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. His cheeks were flushed and his brown eyes a bit glassy. He was feeling a bit excited as he waited in line for a pretzel.

_I haven't had one of these cinnamon pretzels in years! Just have to make sure Linda doesn't find out, and I have my insulin just in case!_

Just as quickly as he heard the man's thoughts, the vision of the mall and everyone in it vanished. It was instead replaced with a view of a very proud looking Parrish. The hellhound approached him and offered his hand, which Mason took.

 _ **"Congratulations, you did it. That's two variations mastered."**_ He replied as helped him to his feet.

Mason's eyes lit up, and his mouth spread in a grin. "Does this mean I can go back to school?!"

_**"When you are finished yes."** _

"Yes!" He cried happily, turning to Allison to share the good news but to his immense surprise she wasn't there. Confused and a bit disappointed the teen turned back to Parrish.

"Where did she--!"

 _ **"Ms. Argent was only brought to you to help you learn focus. Now that you have, she has returned to the afterlife where she belongs."**_ He explained simply.

Deeply saddened, Mason nodded. Even though they didn't really know each other, he missed her already. He sure as hell wouldn't forget her though, and he made a mental note to ask Scott who she was when all of this was over.

He met the hellhound's burning gaze. "So...what's next?"

"The aggressive variation." Another voice stated from behind, startling him.

He turned and came face to face with a beautiful, tall and slender woman. She had long dark brown hair that fell down her back and scarred tan skin. Her eyes were a terrifying and unusual black and red. Her nails and toe nails were long and black claws. (Manipedis were probably hell for this chick.) She carried herself the way a warrior did and Mason got the feeling that she wasn't one to mess with.

She looked him up and down, obviously annoyed and not impressed. "And sweetheart... you have _a **lot**_ to learn."

 


	12. Chapter 12

Liam sighed as his eyes scanned through his history book. His eyes saw the words, but his mind just wouldn't process the information there. His thoughts were already chaotic like a train wreck, and his mind seemed to think that that was torture enough. No need to make it worse by adding to the load.

Frustrated, he slammed the book shut and tossed it aside before falling back onto the bed. He let his eyes slip closed and ran his fingers through his already messy hair.

A week. An entire week had gone by since Parrish took Mason into the woods and left him there, and there was still no sign of his best friend.

Mason's parents were hysterical when they heard the news, and the police of course were alerted. Sheriff Stilinski was beyond pissed upon learning the full story, harshly scolding them for not coming forward sooner so the police could help. Now the entire town was alerted to Mason's disappearance, and everyone was crossing their fingers and praying that the beloved teen be brought home safely.

Scott and the rest of the pack remained hopeful but also nervous, and Brett...no one had seen him in days either. Liam had gone by the Ito home to check on him, but his little sister Lori informed him that Brett was locked up in his room and really in no mood to see anyone. His grief and sorrow was so strong that it actually wafted through the house when Liam had gone over to visit.

Corey from Theo's pack was also devastated by Mason's absence. There wasn't a day in school that he wasn't moping around or asking to be excused from class so he could go into the lower stairwell and cry in private. Liam wanted to talk to him, but feared that it wouldn't be good for either of their packs and decided to leave it alone.

Everyone was so upset by the absence of perhaps the most well known and well loved teenager that was Mason Hewitt, it felt like Beacon Hills was in mourning.

Liam felt his eyes begin to sting with tears and blinked them back. Crying didn't help anything, and he had to stay optimistic. He still firmly believed that Mason was okay, just as he had told him earlier at Scott's house. Although part of him was beginning to fear that Brett had been right and that it was only a trick his mind played on him, he continued to cling to the hope that it wasn't. It couldn't have been. Mason was fine and eventually he was going to come back...he _had_ to...

He had to...because Liam wouldn't survive without him. He had already lost him once. He refused to lose him again.

.....................

Mason cried out in frustration, throwing his hands up in exasperation. He glared at his newest mentor, a beautiful and rather tall woman with dark hair and eyes as dark as coal. She wore a red wine colored dress but her feet were bare. Her nails were also incredibly long and unnaturally sharp. It actually reminded him a little of Kali, but unlike the she wolf this woman was a lot sweeter and not very animalistic. Sure she shared some of the wolf traits, but Kali was like a living embodiment of a wild animal. At least this woman was capable of acting civilized and she went by the name Talia.

Out of all of his mentors, she and Allison had been the kindest to him. Kali had been the meanest as well as the strictest. Meredith wasn't necessarily mean or nice, she was just simply weird. Deucalion had also been kind, but he would randomly snap and have a mean episode which prompted Mason not to like or trust him. Jennifer was strict like a dictator and Aiden was just...really rude.

No matter their demeanor or attitude, they all taught him something about his powers and strangely they all seemed to know him and Scott's pack. Meredith taught him how to speak to people without them physically being with him and Allison taught him how to focus on one person's emotions so he didn't get a massive nosebleed. Kali showed him how to astral project and force his way into another person's mind. Deucalion showed him how to manipulate the emotions of others while Jennifer taught him how to project his emotions onto other people. Aiden showed him how to tap into the powers of other people and Talia was trying to teach him something she called the ultimate defense mechanism.

Some of the things he had learned already felt like defensive powers, but she insisted that this one was nothing like the others he had learned. It was a power she constantly felt the need to warn him about, and honestly if it was as dangerous as she continually stated...he was beginning to hope he would never have to use it.

With a frustrated sigh, he threw his hands up. "Alright you know what this crap is _IMPOSSIBLE_! _No one_ can--!"

A smile tugged at Talia's lips and she shook her head with a soft sigh. "It's not impossible, not at all. You're just not trying."

"I've been trying this for--!"

"No, you've been sitting there staring at the deer instead of doing as you were instructed." She mused teasingly, shaking her head before coming to stand behind him. Gently, she gripped his hands gently and held them steady on the side of the deer's head.

"Stop tensing up so much. Just relax and feel the emotions running through the deer into you." She replied softly, taking his hands and returning them to the animal's head.

Mason sighed, letting a smile grace his lips when the deer made a small mewl. Gently, he stroked its head in an effort to calm the poor thing down. He felt the anxiety coming off the poor thing and he projected some of his calm onto it.

"Good. Now...manipulate all of its emotions, overwhelm it with them. Make it feel everything all at once."

Mason frowned. "How will I know if it's working?"

"Believe me...you'll know."

The teen nodded and took a deep breath. He rolled his shoulders backwards and focused on the emotions emitting from the small baby animal. Poor thing was still frightened, but Mason was quick to change that. With a reassuring smile he allowed more of his calm to flow into it.

"Stop comforting it Mason." Talia replied gently but firmly. "That's not your objective here..."

"Sorry, sorry I just...I don't like feeling it's fear. It's making me sad. I don't even want to do this really, I mean I know in the end I'll just be hurting the poor little thing and I don't like that."

Talia smiled and rubbed his shoulders soothingly. "Always so gentle and tender...the world is so lucky to have a young man like you. There are not many pure souls left, but Mason I'm afraid you don't have any choice. You need to master this technique. Although it is very dangerous and lethal...it could prove useful and could possibly save your life in the near future."

The teen nodded, trying to ignore that last part. He didn't want more conflict after all of this but trouble always seemed to find the McCall pack. That and he was still technically a "weapon" to use at the Hellhound's disposal.

A shiver left him at the thought. He didn't like it, and every time he thought about it it just made it worse. Since the hellhound was from...well hell, did that make him a weapon of hell? And if so did that make him evil? Sighing gently, he shook the rather disturbing thoughts away. He just wanted to lead a somewhat normal life after all of this...

He was owed at least that right?

He cleared his throat softly, forcing himself to focus once again. If he kept getting lost in thought this would never get done. He reached deep inside the animal's mind: feeling the fear, joy, anxiety, sorrow, pain and strangely enough even anger. His suddenly hands felt hot to an almost excruciating degree and he heard the deer cry out in what sounded like agony.

Shocked and confused, he opened his eyes and looked down. The sight waiting there for him was one he'd never forget. The deer was thrashing violently underneath his touch, eyes rolled and mouth foaming. That however wasn't even the worst part. His hands were glowing a deep violet and tiny traces of electricity flowed through his fingers. Out of all the strange things he had been exposed to during these trials, this one definitely shocked him the most.

Downright disgusted by what he'd caused, Mason pulled his hands away and watched with a sinking heart as the deer went still. He waited until the purple aura around his hands disappeared before touching the animal again, and to his immense despair the tiny thing didn't move a muscle. Even worse...he couldn't feel a thing coming off of it.

It was dead.

Horrified, Mason looked back at Talia with wide and tearful eyes. His gaze soon traveled from her to his hands. Tears clouded his vision and his breathing began to escalate.

"I..I...what did I...h..how did I...wh..what did I do?!" He demanded, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. "I..I killed it...I _**killed**_ it!"

Talia nodded sadly, lips set in a grim line. "Yes...indeed you did, but that means it worked. You mastered--!"

"Why...? _**WHY!?**_ Why would you teach me how to do that?! I..I don't want to use these powers for that! Not now, not ever! I don't ever want to hurt anyone like that!"

Talia held up her hands, eyes silently pleading with him. "Mason please, it's--!"

"How could a power like this ever prove useful?!" He nearly screamed at her.

_**"It will help you defeat the coven of witches that you angered when you aided in the murder of their leader."** _

Both Mason and Talia turned to see Parrish standing behind them, only it wasn't truly Parrish but his alter ego. His eyes burned a fiery red and his usual aura of fire burned brightly around him.

"I didn't help anyone kill that lady, she came after me!" Mason shot back defensively, shooting the Hellhound a rather furious glare. "And I don't really want to hear anything from you right now you...you big fiery _jerk!_ You're only using me for--!"

 _ **"It's finished."**_ He stated simply, cutting off the teen's furious rant before it even had the chance to begin.

Brown eyes widened and sparkled with confusion, and Mason tilted his head slightly. It was done? What was that supposed to mean? He opened his mouth to question the hellhound, but before he could even speak he answered.

_**"You're training is finished...I'm sure your friends will be glad to know that your powers are no longer a threat to you. They'll be proud, I've no doubt of that but...now you may finally return home."** _

For a moment Mason stayed quiet, eyes wide and mouth agape with disbelief. Home... He was finally going home? After what had to be days of hard work with weird strangers and no food, sleep or drink...he honestly thought he'd never see any of his friends or family again. The hellhound's words just simply didn't even feel real.

His anger quickly melted into joy and without warning he shouted with glee and pounced on Parrish, sending them both to the ground. A startled whine that was almost too doglike left the burning man and he tensed up as the teenager hugged him tightly.

 _ **"Enough!"**_ He cried, getting his masculine voice back. As gently as he could, he pushed the other away and hurried to his feet. He took a moment to brush himself off and gather himself before straightening and getting his stoic demeanor back. Almost hesitantly the Hellhound reached for the other's hand. _**"Come now... I'm certain your friends are very eager to see you returned home safely."**_

His voice sounded a little harsh and angry, but Mason didn't care. He was finally going home! After an eternity of training and hanging out with weird strangers, he was finally going home. He was going to see his family and friends again. He could already picture it...

Liam's relieved smile and teary blue eyes, his big arms wrapping around him and squeezing him tightly in a bear hug. His mother's tears of joy and relief and her tender hugs and incessant kisses. Brett smiling cool and calmly, but his sweet blue eyes sparkling with relief and pure joy. The feeling of his long and muscular arms around him, his soft lips kissing him and the sound of his voice. His strong and crisp cologne enveloping him and sticking to him like a second skin.

Mason felt his face burn up and his heart quicken with anticipation. He took Parrish's hand and turned in Talia's direction, not surprised at all when he found that she wolf was no longer there. None of them stayed long once his time with him was up, but the crushing realization that he would never see any of his mentors again crashed over him like a wave. 

His heart sunk a little in his chest, but he knew that wherever they were happy and probably safe. He hoped it would stay that way. Though some didn't like to show it...deep down all of them were good people.

 _"Are you ready?"_ Parrish asked, bringing Mason out of his thoughts.

He sighed, his smile returning to his face and his heart swelling with pure elation. "Trust me, I've _been_ ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update, but at least the next chapter will be Mason's big reunion with the pack!!! Hope you enjoyed this part and the next chapter will be up soon :)


	13. Chapter 13

"Dad, come on this is pointless!" Stiles argued rather angrily as he tried to stop his father, who was ignoring him almost too easily. "Dad!"

"Dammit, what Stiles?!" The Sheriff demanded, finally deciding to voice his frustration. "I'm working here, and you're really starting to--!"

"Dad, listen to me. Mason was taken to the Nemeton! No matter how many people you round up you won't find it, no one can! Not even Scott! It has to want to be found and right now it definitely does not want to be found! We've been trying to find it for weeks!"

"Right, when you should have been calling the police! I'm not going to debate this with you Stiles. I'm taking a search party out there tonight, and we're going to look for Mason. Now you can help us or you can go home, I don't care but you're not going to sit here and try to make me disband the search."

Stiles let out a frustrated breath, covering his face with both hands. "Goddammit!" He growled lightly, pulling out his phone to call Scott. If he couldn't get his dad to stop, he could at least get his friend to help...

....................

"Stiles!"

The anxious teen jerked around and immediately sighed in relief at the sight of his best friend. Scott looked troubled but determined, his onyx eyes already beginning to bleed red. His fists were balled at his sides, and his teeth were starting to lengthen and sharpen.

"I came as soon as I got your text. We're all prepared to spend the whole night looking for--!"

"Wait a minute." Stiles interrupted, holding up his hands and frowning in confusion. "We? Who's we?"

Scott turned, looking over his shoulder at Brett's car where he and Malia waited. The two of them were just as wolfed out as the alpha, their eyes shining blue and gold. They took the alpha's glance as their cue and quickly came up behind him.

"You didn't bring Liam?" Stiles asked, almost shocked at the beta's absence. It was his best friend after all.

"Corey had another breakdown so Liam stayed with him to make sure he was okay." Malia explained, looking over at the group of police.

Brett's eyes followed her and he listened in on their conversation. "According to your dad the search party's about to go out and start looking." He replied, eyes slowly calming down and returning to their natural blue color. "Are we heading out with them or are we going on our own?"

"I think we better go on our own." Malia suggested. "We can cover more ground without the police holding us back."

"She's right, they'll only--!"

"Sheriff!" A deputy called, sounding frantic. "Sheriff, I got something!"

Stiles and Scott shared a look as the police, including Sheriff Stilinski, dashed over to the one deputy's position. After looking at Malia and Brett, they all bolted over to the police and pushed their way to the front of the crowd. What awaited them there left them all just as wide eyed and open mouthed as the police surrounding them.

Standing naked and shivering in the middle of the forest...was the long lost teen Mason. He was caked in dirt, leaves and small twigs protruding from his hair and dark eyes squinting from the light from the police cars and flashlights. His body was trembling violently and a hand came up to shade his eyes from the light.

"H..hello?" He called out, though everyone was too stunned to even respond.

Time seemed to freeze as everyone eyed Mason, who was starting to process what was going on. "Uuuum...can someone get me a jacket please?" He murmured with a small and nervous smile. "Or a blanket at least...pretty please, just something cause it's um it's kinda cold out here."

As soon as he spoke, Brett was rushing forward, fumbling to get his jacket off so violently that he almost fell flat on his face. After finally removing it, he quickly wrapped around Mason's shoulders. As he gently helped him get his arms through their eyes met and it was like sparks ignited between them.

Mason's smile grew wider and Brett felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. The shorter teen swelled with joy as Brett's relief, adoration and love surrounded him, wrapping around him like a blanket. With a content sigh, he rested his head on the werewolf's shoulder, gasping when his feet were suddenly swept out from underneath him.

"Mason...god I...we-everyone missed you." Brett stuttered, voice breaking and eyes filling up with tears. Gently, he pressed their foreheads together before pulling away to place a light kiss on the other's nose.

"I know...but--"

"Where the hell have you been?" Stiles demanded, coming forward and looking over him.

Although he seemed angry and frustrated, Mason could sense his relief and happiness all too well. Before he could open his mouth to respond, the Sheriff stepped up and intervened.

"That's a good question and I'm sure we'll get an answer to it, but right now we need to get Mason to a hospital to make sure he's alright."

.............

"What do you think he'll tell them?" Malia asked, looking the door to Mason's room which was guarded by two deputies.

"I don't know, but I'm sure he won't reveal anything that could expose himself..." Scott replied. "Mason is smart...he'll figure something out."

"Guys!" A voice suddenly called, making both their heads turn.

Liam was rushing up to them, Brett not far behind. Liam looked like he was a bit shaken up, eyes red rimmed as if he had been crying. His heartbeats was also a bit rapid and quickened, and Scott wasn't sure if it was because the beta had sprinted there or if he just couldn't believe the good news.

"Is it true?!" Liam asked, big watery eyes searching each of his friend's faces. "Did they really find him?"

"Yeah, he's alright Liam but we can't go in yet. They're questioning him." Scott replied.

" _Who's_ questioning him?!"

"The police." Brett stated as if it should have been obvious. "Liam he disappeared for weeks. No one is just going to let that slide. His mother reported him missing. The police are going to want answers."

"But what will he even tell them?!"

Before anyone could offer up an answer, a loud shout was heard. All heads turned to see the angry and worried Mrs. Hewitt. She looked like hell, her hair a rat's nest and her clothes wrinkled and messy. Her brown eyes burned with disbelief and anger and the woman stormed to towards them, a look of fierce determination on her face.

As soon as she stepped up to the door, the two deputies told her that she couldn't enter the room. A statement that didn't sit quite well with the mother of the missing child.

"He's my son." She retorted, glaring up at them. "I have a right to see him!"

"I'm sorry ma'am but you can't go in there--"

"MASON?!" Mrs. Hewitt called as she threw the door open despite the protests of the deputies. They immediately tried to pull her back but her motherly instinct and desire to see her long lost son gave her the strength of a hundred men.

"Ma'am I'm sorry but you can't be in here!" The cop insisted once again, trying his hardest to pull her back.

"He's _MY_ _**SON!**_ " She screamed at them as she snatched her arm away.

"It's okay Rogers." Sheriff replied. "I'm just finishing up here anyway. Let her in."

Triumphantly, she threw a glare at the two deputies before shoving her way inside. Almost immediately her heart swelled with relief and she gasped at the sight of her son lying in a hospital bed, his smile mirroring her own.

"Mom." He called softly, tears filling his eyes.

"Oh god..." She murmured as if the very sight of him was too good to be true. Instantly she was rushing to her son's side and enveloping him in her arms. "Mason! Oh, Mason you're alright!"

Mason sighed as he felt her relief and joy, sobbing into the crook of her shoulder as she squeezed him. Her heart had been in tatters since his disappearance and he didn't need to be an empath to know that. Gently, he allowed some of his joy to drown out her sorrows, hoping it would give her more peace. He never wanted to see or feel his mother  in so much agony ever again.

"Thank god you're safe..." She replied happily, pulling away to glance at his face. "You aren't hurt are you?"

"No mom..." Mason replied, shaking his head lightly with a smile. "I'm fine. Got a few tiny scratches but that's nothing I can't handle."

"Where on _Earth_ were you?! My god honey, we searched _**everywhere**_ for you..."

"I don't know where I was...or how I even got there." Mason said softly, eyes never leaving his mother's. Her relief outweighed her pain but the empath was sad to discover that there was still some sorrow within her.

Gently, he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I just...I was lost in the woods and every time I tried to escape I just got more and more lost."

"We think that Mason may have been a victim of sleepwalking." The Sheriff intervened. "It's not the first case we've seen and it seems to be growing rapidly in teenagers. There were several other teens who just waltzed into the woods in the middle of the night, only to get lost and turn up days later." He explained. "I'd recommend a system of traps around the house that could help alert both you and Mason if he begins to sleepwalk again."

Mrs. Hewitt nodded quickly, smiling at her son. "That won't be a problem at all...when can I take him home?"

"I think it'd be better for him to stay here for the night, just so we can stop him if he starts sleepwalking tonight but tomorrow you should be able to take him." The Sheriff replied, smiling at Mason.

...........

As soon as the Sheriff and Mason's mother left the room, Scott and the pack rushed inside and Liam could feel his heart burst in his chest. As soon as he laid eyes on his best friend, he rushed to his side and wrapped his arms around him. He tried to hold in his sobs, but it was no use.

"Holy shit Mason! I...I'm so glad you're okay, I was worried to death about you!" He replied, sobbing into the other's shoulder.

Mason smiled and returned the hug, letting himself fall into the strong aura of his best friend's relief and elation. He had missed Liam more than words could ever describe and to say that he was glad to see him again would be a gigantic understatement.

"I got your message." The beta suddenly whispered and Mason suddenly felt a wave of triumph.

"Message? What..." Mason's voice trailed off as he remembered the very first night he spent in the woods. That was when he had trained with Meredith...and the banshee taught him how to speak to people through his feelings. He remembered exactly what he had told him.

_Liam...I'm okay._

Three small words. A tiny little reassurance but they probably had meant the world to his best friend.

His smile quickly returned as he realized what the werewolf was telling him. His message had gone through. Liam heard him.

"Even though you were silent for quite a while...I never gave up on you. Everyone thought I was crazy and that my mind was playing tricks on me, but I knew it...I just knew it. I knew it was real."

Mason felt his eyes water and leaned over to press a kiss to Liam's cheek. "Thank you Liam...I'm glad you didn't give up on me."

"I'll never give up on you." Liam whispered, covering the empath's hand with his own. "Not in this or any lifetime."

Nearly overwhelmed by the amount of love Liam was feeling, Mason felt his nose began to bleed but he couldn't bring himself to care. His friend's words meant everything to him and he didn't need to be an empath to know that the werewolf meant every single word of it.


	14. Chapter 14

_Ugh, I hate hospitals._ Mason thought to himself as he gazed out the window. It had only been one night, and he was already eager to go home. Well...he had been eager to go home for a couple weeks. He missed the comfortable warmth of his own bed more than kids missed Christmas. He was more than sick of the uncomfortable bed he was forced to lay in all day and the lousy food that could honestly be compared to the cafeteria food at school.

"God, what I wouldn't give to go home. I hate this place.Brett" He grumbled, turning back to his best friend who was staring down at him with a cup of strawberry yogurt and a spoon. 

"Hungry?" The beta asked, dipping the spoon in the creamy pink dairy product.

"Not for that slop."

"It's not slop, it's yogurt!"

"Liam seriously, I'm fine you don't have to hover over me." Mason insisted, frowning when a spoonful of yogurt was suddenly shoved in his face. "You don't have to spoon feed me either, I already said I'm not hungry anyway."

"You haven't eaten anything all day, and I just don't want you using too much energy." The beta replied with a shrug, bringing the spoon back to the other's lips.

"Yeah, there's a reason why I haven't eaten all day and just how is me eating on my own using too much energy?!"

"Would you please stop interrogating me and just eat the yogurt?"

"I'm not hungry." Mason nearly whined, waving the spoon away once again. "Come on, sit down. Stop acting like my mom for five minutes and tell me what I missed at school."

"Nothing really. Everyone has just been all gloomy and depressing since you left. It's like the whole town was in mourning for you."

Big brown eyes widened in surprise and met a crystal blue. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah man...everyone missed you, especially the pack and...by pack I mean--"

"Brett." Mason murmured, cheeks flushing at just the thought of the Ito beta.

"You should have seen him." Liam marveled. "For once there was no smug smile, no charming slyness...just a sad pair of blue red rimmed eyes. I honestly don't think a day went by that he didn't cry for you."

"Wow, I...I had no idea that...he cared so much."

"Oh, it's a lot more than just care." The werewolf whispered, slipping the spoon full of yogurt into his own mouth.

"What?"

"Nothing."

............

Mason jerked awake, looking around to see what had roused him. His head throbbed as a certain emotion raced through him. Relief.

He turned to the door and gasped. Standing in the doorway with the same big puppy dog brown eyes he was famed for, was Corey. He looked like a worried mess, his entire frame shaking and his eyes already leaking tears.

"Corey, what are you doing here? How did you..." His voice trailed off as he remembered the chimera's gift of invisibility. Of course he could have snuck into his room no problem.

"I heard you were back and..." He looked down at his feet, using his forearm to wipe away his tears. "I just had to know if it was true."

The chimera crossed the threshold and quietly closed the door behind him before walking up to Mason's side. Gently he reached out and cupped Mason's face, smiling as he thumbed his cheek.

Mason returned his smile and covered the other's hand with his own. All of Corey's emotions were pouring off him in waves, nearly overwhelming the empath.

"It's...god Mason it's so good to see you again. I thought...I thought you were gone forever and--"

"I know." The empath interrupted with a sad smile. "I know, but I'm here now and I think that's all that really ma--"

A pair of lips slammed into his own, cutting him off. Mason gasped in shock, unable to even fight back against the kiss. Out of all the things he expected to happen that was probably right at the bottom of the list. He should have been able to see it coming... Corey was giving off some serious love vibes as well as relief and happiness.

A light growling made the chimera pull away and both of them looked at the door, where Brett stood. His fists were balled at his sides and his eyes glowed a bright gold, even his teeth were beginning to enlarge.

"B..Brett, it's not what it's looks like!" Mason replied, trying to quell the burning rage and jealously he could feel coming from the beta.

The buddhist ignored him and began advancing on Corey, who was too frightened to even move. He whimpered as if the beta's very presence was threatening him. His whimpers turned into a shocked cry as Brett reached him. With a furious roar he grabbed the chimera by the collar and drew him in close, raising his fist to strike him.

"Brett, stop it!" Mason cried, powerless to stop the wolf as he punched Corey square in the face.

Blood flew into the air, splashing Brett on his face and knuckled but he didn't seem to give much of a damn. He raised his fist and struck again and again, each punch more ruthless and angrier than the last. Agonizing pain and anger filled Mason, confusing his mind and causing his head to ache.

 _ **"STOP!"**_ He screamed, sending out a wave of energy that sent both the werewolf and chimera flying back. They slammed into the wall and slid to the ground, dazed and in awe of Mason.

Brett's awe soon turned to fear as he noticed Mason had begun to bleed from the nose. "Shit!" He cried, rushing over to the empath's side and grabbing hold of his hand. He fixed a harsh glare at Corey, who was struggling to his feet, watching the wolf with fearful and cautious eyes.

Mason winced at just the sight of his face. He knew that the chimera would eventually heal, but for now his face was a bruised and battered mess. Blue and purple bruises coated his face and he was bleeding from his mouth and nose, which looked like it might have been broken. Pain radiated from his very being and Mason felt his heart ache in his chest.

"Go!" Brett suddenly shouted, making Mason and Corey jump. "Just get the **_fuck_** out of here before I beat you to death!" He growled with a snarl, eyes glowing golden once more.

"Brett...st..stop." Mason whimpered out, squeezing his arm but the wolf ignored him. He was far too busy making sure the threat understood what he was going to do should he ever decide to touch his Mason again.

Mason looked at Corey with pleading eyes, practically screaming at him to leave the room. He knew that should Brett decide to attack him once again he wouldn't be able to stop him a second time. The last surge of energy he had let out left him drained and truly powerless.

Corey seemed to get the hint, standing up and scrambling out of the room. He ran like his very life depended on it, and with the way the werewolf looked at him it probably did. As he fled, Mason couldn't ever describe how guilty he felt as the chimera's fear rapidly ebb away but he didn't have long before he slipped into unconsciousness, the only thing he could sense being the wolf's leftover anger and jealousy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brett no...poor Corey...and poor Mason. D:
> 
> (Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it's so short! I promise the next one will be longer!!!)


	15. Chapter 15

"What the hell happened to you?!" Josh nearly shouted as Corey entered the house.

The chimera nearly jumped out of his skin and turned away with a sniffle. "N..nothing! Just..just leave me alone!" He replied, heading for the staircase.

"Corey!"

"It's nothing okay!? Just drop it!"

Josh stood and walked over to his friend, who went invisible at his approach. He jolted in shock, but his shock soon turned to anger. "Corey! Seriously, stop being so over dramatic and let me help you dammit!"

He heard heavy footfalls heading towards the steps and rushed after them. His hand reached out and brushed what felt like a leg, so he quickly wrapped his hand around it and pulled. A weight fell with a heavy this and he heard a soft grunt from Corey, who came back into his sight. Before he could even attempt to escape again, Josh laid all his weight down on the smaller teen, pinning him to the ground.

A soft curse left his lips when he saw just how badly his friend's injuries were. He reached out and let his fingers lightly trace over the dark bruise, sighing in relief when he noticed that Corey was healing. It was going a bit slow but he was still healing.

"What the hell happened to you? Did you get jumped or something?" He asked, gently wiping away some blood oozing from his nose.

"Sort of...I was attacked by an angry werewolf."

Josh looked up in shock and his eyes began to glow a dark violet. "A werewolf? Was it Scott!?" He demanded, his teeth elongating.

"No!" Corey exclaimed, almost defensively. Yes, it was true that he was afraid of the alpha at a point in time but...they had moved past that when Mason went missing. Scott had been there for him during that time and so had Liam. Now they may be apart of rival packs...but he counted them both as friends.

"No...it wasn't Scott." He replied again, this time softer. "It wasn't him or any of his pack."

Violet eyes dimmed back down to brown and Josh visibly relaxed, his teeth back shrinking back to their normal size. "Good. Good. Then who was it?"

"It doesn't matter, just...please let me go up to bed. I'm tired and everything hurts. I just want to lay down so and sleep so I can heal."

The larger teen gave him a worried look but nodded nonetheless. He watched as Corey made his way upstairs like a defeated dog with his tail between his legs. The smell of pain still lingered on his skin but another emotion hung around him too.

Sadness.

Josh sighed and shook his head. What the hell happened to him?

................

"I cannot _believe_ you!" Mason screamed as he threw his front door open. He quickly stormed inside, leaving Brett to close the door behind him. He followed after the angry teen and grabbed his wrist, jumping when Mason instantly jerked away from him. "Don't touch me!"

"Mason--"

The empath ignored him as he stormed up the steps and headed for his room, the wolf following right after him. "Did you even see what you did to him!?" He demanded. "Brett you could have killed him!"

"I know what I did and I know what I could have done but I--." The tall teen replied coolly, closing Mason's bedroom door and taking his hand.

"I said don't touch me!" Mason cried, snatching his hand away once again. "I know you know what you did! You just don't care! That's the problem! You could have killed him Brett and if I hadn't stopped you then you would have killed him!"

Brett sighed. "I know. I said I was sorry."

"And that's supposed to just fix everything!? Have you even listened to a word I said!? Brett, you could have _**killed**_ Corey."

"Mason--"

"You beat him so severely and I'm pretty sure you broke some of his bones too! I mean what were you even thinking!?"

"I wasn't!" Brett cried, almost roughly grabbing Mason by his shoulders. "I walked in and saw him kissing you and I flipped out okay!? I know what I did was wrong but I just...I couldn't stop myself! I can't lose you Mason! Not again! **NEVER** again."

Mason blinked in surprise and relaxed his tense body. With a soft sigh he stepped closer to Brett and relaxed against his chest. Almost immediately the larger teen wrapped his arms around him, bringing him even closer. Mason let his eyes slip closed as he listened to the sound of the werewolf's heartbeat. Steady and strong. His emotions we're nearly flooding Mason's system but he was used to it by now.

He felt a pang of remorse but it was nearly drowned out by the panic Brett was feeling. He was afraid. Afraid that his violent outburst had driven Mason away forever. That he'd never be able to see past what he had done to Corey and he'd never be able to gain his trust or love again.

"You never lost it." Mason murmured suddenly, burying his nose in Brett's shirt and nuzzling him.

"What?"

Mason looked up at him, his brown eyes twinkling with an emotion that could only be love. "My love...you never lost it. I just...what you did Brett, it was so horrific and filled with anger. I mean, it didn't even feel like you, just this wild animal that no one could ever hope to tame."

The taller teen leaned down, gently pressing their foreheads together while intertwining their fingers. "Yeah well... believe it or not that's who I used to be. You thought Liam was bad at controlling his anger issues? Well, I probably made him look like a little angel. After my parents died I...was just this angry little ball of werewolf rage. It took a few years of training with Satomi to fix it but sometimes I still have some explosions of rage like...well like today."

With a sigh the werewolf pulled away and gently lifted Mason's chin, blue eyes meeting a warm brown. "I'm sorry okay? I'm so sorry." He murmured. "I never meant to hurt Corey...well, I mean I did mean to but I wasn't going to kill him and I never meant to scare you. I just--"

"Stop." Mason interrupted suddenly, smiling up at him. "You already apologized... about several times now."

"I just--"

"I know...I can kinda hear what you're thinking and all that."

"Mason--"

"Listen, I know you wouldn't have killed Corey but...after everything that's happened, I don't want anymore violence. There's been enough of it and there's bound to be more in our lives later on but I don't want any to happen because of me."

Brett nodded, gently taking the other's face in his hands. "Got it." He stated with a curt nod before closing the gap between their lips.

Mason sighed and wrapped his arms around the taller boy's neck. A smile tugged at his lips as he slowly ascended on his tippy toes, trying to get closer to the wolf. Brett smiled in return and leaned down to give the empath more access, one hand cradling Mason's head and keeping him close.

They both broke away to smile at each other and Mason buried his face in the other's chest. He sighed and nuzzled him, relaxing into his touch as he felt the other's long fingers stroke circles into his back.

"You always smell so good." He whispered, squeezing him lightly before continuing his gentle nuzzling.

"So do you...you always smell like flowers and honey, like springtime almost." Brett mused.

Mason chuckled and looked up with a raised brow. "Springtime? Really? You think I smell like springtime?"

"Yeah, you almost remind me of the honeysuckle that grows on the fence behind my house. Every year they get sweeter and sweeter...just like you, except you get sweeter by the hour." He teased in a low voice, hooking an arm around Mason's waist and pressing a kiss to his neck.

The empath gasped suddenly and his face flushed. He trembled lightly as he basked in the engulfing warmth of Brett's sudden lust. It hit him wave after wave until he found himself hardening in his pants.

His face flushed with embarrassment and he tried to wiggle out of the strong embrace only to be pulled back and held tighter. "A..ah...Brett, I--!"

"I know." The wolf murmured, grinding against him so Mason could feel his arousal as well.

Mason looked up with a breathless sigh, shaking his head lightly. "Brett, I haven't...I've never um...I'm a--"

"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me that it's um...it's kind of obvious." The wolf teased, kissing his forehead.

The empath's cheeks flushed even deeper. Mortified, he buried his face in the crevice of the beta's neck. "Oh, God...is it really?" He murmured.

Brett nodded with a light chuckle. "Just a little and I won't do anything you don't want me to. Okay?"

Mason smiled up at him, his understanding giving him a slight boost of confidence. "Can we just do that frottage thing some people do but...without taking off our clothes?"

"So...dry humping then?"

"Yeah. Yeah, let's do that."

With a chuckle the wolf hoisted the other up, grinning at the shocked gasp it earned him. "Fine by me."

........................

Emraude cringed as she watched her new mistress stir a bubbling concoction. The bright grey liquid smelled foul and wretched but that meant it was nearing its completion. With a frown, the witch looked up at the face of her companion. Her pink eyes glittered with determination and dark circles had crept underneath her eyes, showing her fatigue and lack of sleep.

"Kiade this is pointless. More importantly, Lady Cato would not approve of you doing this..."

"Well, luckily for me she is dead." The other replied coolly, her voice full of apathy.

_"Kiade!"_

The other slammed her fist onto the table, sending a dozen tiny droplets of the potion onto the table. "Enough! I have had it with your objections Emraude! I told you that if you are against me then stay far from my sight! I don't need your help and I certainly don't need your opinions!"

"I only acknowledge what you refuse to! This toxic dream of yours will only get us killed and possibly destroy the entire coven!"

"Not if everything goes to plan!"

Emraude grabbed the other by her wrists with almost enough strength to leave the a bruise. "Your plan will _NOT. **WORK!"**_

Kiade opened her mouth to fire back a response but suddenly frowned. She turned to the clearing in the woods before them, her pink eyes searching the area wildly.

Emraude frowned and followed the other's gaze but saw nothing. "Kiade what--"

"Shh!" The elder witch ordered, her eyes growing wider. "He's here."

"What?! Who is--"

"I believe she is referring to me."

Both Emraude and Kiade looked up to see a man making his way towards him. He was tall, naked, charred and engulfed in bright flames. His eyes were a fiery amber and his canines were unnaturally sharpened.

Kiade scoffed, her eyes lowering. "The hellhound." She spat out, voice filled with obvious distaste.

"The witch." The man growled.

"And just who let you out of your cage?" The silver haired witch mused.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Why have you come here hellhound?" Emraude asked, gripping her friend's forearm and flashing her a look filled with warning. "I thought Cerberus ordered you all back from whence you came."

Fiery red eyes cast themselves upon the younger witch and she felt a shiver race through her body. For a creature created and drenched with fire, he was immensely cold.

"His orders have no merit as he is not our master. He is merely the highest of our race."

"But he did order you back?" Emraude questioned again. "All the others have returned to your realm, yet you remain here. Will you not be punished for disobeying him?"

"That is none of your concern. I am here because I have business to attend to. Only when it is finished will I return. That is all you need worry about."

"And what unfinished business do you have here?" Kiade suddenly demanded, her eyes live with fury. She rounded the table quickly and approached him coldly. "Cato is dead. Your rivalry with her is finally finished."

"It was never a rivalry. Only a hatred and she may be dead but her hive of despicable workers still remains." He replied with a low growl.

"We pose no threat to you." Emraude quickly chimed in. "You are an ancient creature with multitudes of power! We would never stand a chance against..."

Once again the hound's gaze traveled to her and her sentence slowly died in her throat. "You may pose no threat to me but you are still vile creatures. And you still pose a threat to someone I need and I will see all of you dead before I allow you to destroy him."

"You may be powerful but you cannot defeat us all." Kiade snarled, balling her fists at her sides and blue flames engulfing her hands.

The hellhound's gaze traveled to her hands and he smiled with a tilt of the head. Suddenly more threads of fire erupted around him. "Would you like to try and prove your theory?"

"No!" Emraude cried, running towards the two and throwing herself in between them. "No, please...we will not go after whoever this person of interest is. I swear--"

"That is a promise you can never hope to keep. Your leaders are a wretched lot...but I will warn you only this once. Stay away from Beacon Hills...and keep your distance from Mason Hewitt. I know what your potion will do to him and if it even gets near him...I promise I will make you beg for death."

Kiade stared the man down eyes, pink eyes bearing into amber. After a few moments of silence and intimidation the hellhound turned and headed towards the forest. Soon after his fire was nothing but a dimmed glow and then it vanished into the dark.

Once he was completely out of sight, Emraude sighed and turned to her companion. "You are mad Kiade. Challenging a hellhound of all creatures!"

The other merely shook her head with an annoyed scoff. "Come, let us finish the potion. Quickly."

Emraude grabbed her by the arm as she headed to the table. "You cannot be serious! You heard what he--"

"I do not fear that beast!" Kiade snapped, snatching her arm away. "And you should be ashamed for fearing him. He may be ancient but no being is without weakness. There is a way to destroy him and I will find it as soon as I complete my potion. Now my earlier warning to you still stands Emraude. Either join me or get out of my sight! Take your pick now but I would advise caution. If I hear even one whisper of challenge or disapproval this time I will rip your tongue right out of your skull with my own two hands!"

The young witch stared at the elder woman with wide eyes, watching as she headed back to the table and searched for the remaining ingredients for her potion. Her heart hammered in her chest and with a low sigh she silently made her way back to the table. She knew that she would never be able to stop her angered friend but...she would not leave her to die in her foolish dreams alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait!!!!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!!!


	16. Chapter 16

Hey guys! So turns out I'm not liking the way I wrote this fic. Don't worry, I'm not just giving in the towel completely. My inspiration for this story has been blocked lately but I've decided to just start anew. Change some things and just generally write the story the way I wanted to when it came to me. I've already started rewriting it so please keep your eyes out for the first chapter of the revamped Empathy Link!

I'm so sorry to do this to you guys but thank you so much for sticking with me, leaving your incredible feedback and supporting this story! You guys are awesome and I hope you'll continue to stick with me when I post the new content!

Much love, Vikky <3


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